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

Chen Jing immediately started shouting and yelling.

"Look! My sixth brother's character is truly something else; he actually went and poisoned me!"

"As his elder brother, what a disgrace!"

"General, what does it mean that Chen Shao has fled into the mountains?"

Whether a person is truly calm is not determined by their usual demeanor, but by how they behave when faced with major events.

Chen Jing acted serious the whole way, but when something suddenly became difficult, it was like a thunderbolt.

In contrast, Wang Yuanji smiled calmly, as if he had everything under control.

"Your Highness, please don't be anxious."

"Poisoning wells is a common occurrence, but it can be countered by putting charcoal powder and fine sand into them."

"As for food, I have made ample preparations this time, bringing enough military rations for a month. Within this month, I will surely ensure that he has no chance of survival."

"As for Chen Shao's escape..."

Wang Yuanji pointed to the sand table and said, "Your Highness, please take a look. Chen Shao is well aware of the strength of our cavalry. If he were to fight us head-on on the plains, he would only face certain death."

"So he abandoned Liaocheng, hoping to use the terrain of Cangyan Mountain to weaken the cavalry's advantage."

"The mountains are densely forested and the roads are treacherous, which greatly diminishes the advantage of cavalry. They intend to use infantry to maneuver against us in the mountains, and then turn around and launch a counterattack when our supplies run out."

Even if we can't win, we can cross the mountain.

Chen Jing nodded frequently as he listened, and each person spoke a few words regardless of their status.

"Yes, that does resemble Chen Shao's style of warfare."

Wang Yuanji sneered and pointed to a river behind Cangyan Ridge.

"Unfortunately, Chen Shaoqian never imagined that crossing the Milky Way would lead to a dead end."

"The plains are marked most prominently on the sand table, but only a few people know the terrain there. It's a dark swamp that's impossible to traverse."

"Crossing the Milky Way is a dead end!"

Wang Yuanji said decisively:

"Without delay, let's set off immediately to pursue Chen Shao's army."

"Travel light, each person only needs three days' worth of rations."

"The grain and supplies will be temporarily stored in Liaocheng, with 3,000 men left to guard them. Within three days, I will force Chen Shao out of Cangyan Mountain."

The generals responded with a resounding roar.

The army was disciplined and highly efficient; within half an hour of Wang Yuanji giving the order, they had assembled again.

Heading towards Cangyan Mountain.

Throughout the journey, Wang Yuanji kept flexing his muscles on Chen Jingxiu's body.

While doing so, they also made promises and imagined the future.

Chen Jing listened with great excitement.

But since it concerned his own throne, he was still uneasy.

"General, I've suddenly thought of a possibility."

"Could it be that Chen Shao didn't leave at all, but deliberately left traces of his entry into the mountains to lure our main force away?"

"He is actually hiding near Liaocheng. As soon as we leave, he will come to raid our supplies. Our soldiers only have three days' worth of dry rations, and then we will be in danger."

...Can you stop pretending, you idiot?

Wang Yuanji was getting really annoyed by what he heard.

Ever since that scoundrel started his rebellion, he's acted like a wise old man.

In reality, he still doesn't understand any of it.

He laughed loudly:

"Your Highness is truly meticulous; this is a good thing."

"However, Your Highness is overthinking it."

"I have been stationed in Liaocheng for many years, and I can draw the surrounding terrain with my eyes closed."

"Apart from the Cangyan Mountain, which stretches for hundreds of miles with dense forests and grass, the south and west are all flat open fields, without even a ditch or embankment that can hide more than a thousand people."

"Chen Shao's army must number at least fifty or sixty thousand. How can so many people be hidden?"

"It can't be that, as the prince just said, he knows magic and made tens of thousands of people disappear, can it?"

"Didn't Prince Hangu see through his superstitious and supernatural practices?"

"They're just a bunch of clowns!"

Hearing him say this, Chen Jing's worries gradually subsided.

"The General is right; I was overthinking it."

Wang Yuanji patted him on the shoulder and comforted him:

"It is good that Your Highness is cautious, but as a general, one must know oneself and one's enemy in order to win every battle."

"Instead of asking some nonsensical questions, Your Highness would be better off observing, listening, and learning more. This will benefit your future governance."

"The commander is right..."

The army then sped off towards Cangyan Mountain.

With 50,000 cavalry in front and 50,000 infantry behind, the ironclad torrent swept across the open field, shaking the withered grass by the roadside.

...

Liaocheng.

After the three thousand logistics soldiers left behind watched the main force depart, the atmosphere in the city immediately relaxed.

Logistics soldiers in wartime are like two extremes.

First, it's incredibly pleasurable.

While others fight, I take the blame; while others risk their lives, I reap the rewards; while others bleed, I fight in the wilderness.

Staying in the rear is of utmost importance; just keep an eye on the supplies, there's no need to risk your life charging into battle.

Who wouldn't like this job?

At the other extreme, the probability of death is also not small.

When it comes to fighting, the first thing that comes to mind is to calculate the enemy's logistics forces.

If there was any chance, they would burn it down.

There will obviously be no second scenario this time.

The enemy troops have all hidden in the mountains; all we need to do is diligently protect the supply lines.

Several large pots were cooking dinner, and the steaming aroma filled the twilight.

A group of soldiers sat around a campfire, eating dry rations and drinking cold water, chatting about all sorts of things.

"Ah, are the women in the capital really as beautiful as the legends say? Their skin is whiter than mutton fat jade, and their voices smell sweet."

"I don't know if she's beautiful or not, but she's definitely better than Widow Wang from the east end of our village."

"I heard that the women in brothels are all incredibly beautiful, and it costs two taels of silver for one visit. That's enough to make a month's work go to waste."

"It's all the fault of those gentlemen in the capital who are driving up prices. Even the best things in Phnom Penh aren't worth this much."

After three years in the army, even a sow can rival Diao Chan (a legendary beauty).

During leisure time, all they do is tell dirty jokes.

It all boils down to the story of Widow Liu and the prostitutes of the capital.

The group got more and more excited as they talked, and everyone was laughing so hard their eyes were practically closed.

The conversation gradually shifted to settling down and becoming a high-ranking official in the capital...

But nobody noticed.

Not far behind them, the ground covered with hay was trembling slightly.

One by one, dark figures slowly emerged from various places.

The movements were quick and silent.

In the blink of an eye, four or five hundred people gathered in the shadows.

Each of them had their faces covered with black cloths, revealing only pairs of piercing eyes.

Dian Wei was the last to emerge from the tunnel.

He was covered in mud, and the veins on his arms bulged like dragons, but he was the only one not carrying any weapons.

Dian Wei waved his hands to the left and right, signaling everyone to disperse.

He then walked toward the soldiers who were chatting happily.

Those people suddenly felt a darkness above their heads.

Looking up, a towering figure covered in mud had completely blocked out the flames.

"Who are you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Dian Wei grabbed him and lifted him up.

He grabbed it and threw it at a crowd.

The next second, Dian Wei grabbed another person and smashed him again.

This fierce fighting style left many soldiers dumbfounded.

Is this even human?

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

Finally, someone realized what was happening and shouted at the top of their lungs.