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

At the same time, fire suddenly ignited from all directions.

Countless dark figures were throwing torches at the haystacks.

Those neatly stacked grains were just dry straw covered with oilcloth, which would catch fire at the slightest touch.

With a gust of wind, the fire raged like a giant dragon, engulfing nearly half of the training ground in the blink of an eye.

The soldiers who stayed behind wanted to put out the fire, but after throwing the torches, they started killing people and didn't give them any chance.

Dian Wei, in particular, caused chaos and destruction wherever he went.

It was a miracle achieved through sheer force.

The fire grew larger and larger, illuminating half of Liaocheng in the red, with thick smoke billowing into the sky.

When the supplies were almost completely burned, Dian Wei knew the situation was hopeless and there was no hope of saving the place, so he waved his hand:

"withdraw!"

Those who remained to launch the sneak attack were all elite members of the Iron Fist team, and were well-trained.

Upon hearing the order, they did not linger in battle and retreated back the way they had come.

The surviving defenders in the city were forced to retreat step by step by the flames.

But it was too late; they could only watch helplessly as the supplies and provisions were burned to ashes.

Before long, in the wilderness outside the city, Dian Wei and his men crawled out of the tunnel.

There was absolutely no pause.

He waved his hand:

"Set off!"

......

At the foot of Cangyan Mountain, Wang Yuanji's army had just approached the northern foothills and was resting on the spot.

He was cautious in his military tactics and never gave Chen Shao any opportunity to wait for the enemy to tire themselves out.

Chen Shao's escape here is tantamount to cutting off his own escape route.

Ahead lies a dead end, behind are pursuers.

As long as the campaign is carried out systematically, there are no surprises in this battle.

The soldiers were sitting in twos and threes on the stones by the roadside, eating dry rations.

Wang Yuanji handed a hard, dry piece of food to Chen Jing.

The latter took it and immediately began to wolf it down.

Wang Yuanji was amazed. A person can really do anything for ambition. Even when feeding pigs, Chen Jing would never touch such a thing.

"Your Highness, I have witnessed the transformation of a gentleman into a leopard in you."

Chen Jing took a sip of water and then drank it. "Haha, the past is the past, the present is the present."

"Times have changed. From now on, you will all be my trusted confidants. This is what it means to share joys and sorrows."

"That's how it should be."

Wang Yuanji changed the subject, pointing to the newly trodden tracks on the mountain path ahead.

"Look, sir, the footprints and hoofprints on the ground, and the broken bushes over there, all lead up the mountain."

"And it's not a matter of a few hundred or a few thousand people; Chen Shao's main force must have gone up this mountain."

"This man is truly ruthless. In order to offset the advantage of our cavalry, he did not hesitate to push himself into a desperate situation."

"To be able to repel the Northern Barbarians, they must have some real skill."

He was giving his opinions, but Chen Jing wasn't in the mood for it.

He looked in the direction Wang Yuanji pointed, nodded, and put on that deep expression again.

"What are the commander's plans for attacking the mountain next?"

"Let the soldiers rest, then push forward row by row, advancing in a carpet-like fashion from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside, never giving him a chance to defeat them one by one."

"Once we force him to the mountaintop, we'll either have to come down for a final battle, or we'll have to cross the mountain to reach the Milky Way. Both paths lead to death."

"Without cavalry, does Chen Shao think he can contend with the elite troops of Hedong? How laughable."

Chen Jing pondered for a moment, then said:

"General, since Chen Shao dared to bring his army into the mountains, he must have prepared rolling logs and boulders on the mountain. When our men rush up, they will push them down from their high position and then take advantage of the chaos to launch a surprise attack. We will probably suffer a great loss."

Wang Yuanji laughed heartily and patted Chen Jing on the shoulder:

"Your Highness, half of the men under my command are from mountain hunter families."

"When it comes to climbing mountains and scaling cliffs, Chen Shao's soldiers are nothing."

"That kind of thing might be okay for dealing with bandits and brigands."

"Furthermore, the logs and rocks in the mountains are not inexhaustible. If he dares to use them all, I will fill them with human lives and see if he has more rocks or I have more soldiers."

Chen Jing thought about it again.

"General, it's late autumn now, the weather is dry. If he's pushed to the limit, what if he sets the mountain on fire?"

"We've staked everything on the mountain, and then..."

You're such a pain in the ass!

Wang Yuanji suppressed his displeasure.

"Your Highness should think more about things unrelated to military matters. What's this about burning the mountain? He led tens of thousands of people into the mountains to escape. If the wind blows, the fire will be swept back. How could he possibly escape on his own?"

"Would Chen Shao do something that would harm the enemy eight hundred while also inflicting a thousand on himself?"

He was furious; how could someone keep cursing their own team like that?

Not wanting to talk to Chen Jing anymore, she walked over to the soldiers' side.

After resting for about half an hour, Wang Yuanji stood up and hung his long sword at his waist.

He waved to the army behind him:

"Send the order: advance into the mountains!"

"Everyone, snap out of your daze, open your eyes wide, and grip your swords tightly!"

"Chen Shao is on the mountain. Whoever is the first to stab him will be rewarded with ten thousand gold pieces and ennobled as a marquis!"

These words were very presumptuous, but Chen Jing was not angry at all; on the contrary, he felt an urge to seize the first kill.

The 100,000-strong army responded with a thunderous roar and marched forward once more.

The elite troops of Hedong were indeed elite. Once the order was given, the vanguard led the way, and the rearguard brought up the rear. Fifty thousand infantrymen advanced simultaneously up several mountain roads in several columns.

Many of these soldiers came from mountain villages, and Wang Yuanji was known for his rigorous training, making them adept at climbing mountains and crossing streams.

The group didn't get into chaos; instead, some people started humming a famous local tune.

The entire army resembled countless long, iron-gray snakes, winding their way up through the dense forest.

Chen Jing followed behind Wang Yuanji, climbing uphill with uneven steps.

He had been raised in the capital since childhood, accustomed to a life of luxury, and had never traveled on such mountain roads before.

I had only been climbing for less than fifteen minutes when my legs felt like they were filled with lead, and my forehead was covered in sweat.

But when I think about what's going to happen next, I can grit my teeth and persevere without being urged by anyone.

After walking for about two hours, the sky gradually brightened.

We are getting closer and closer to the summit.

Several scouts returned from the front and reported that no ambushes were found ahead, and that the Great Yan army must have retreated to the vicinity of the mountaintop.

Wang Yuanji nodded and waved for the scouts to continue forward.

Chen Jing leaned closer again, "General, if it were Chen Shao..."

Damn it, Wang Yuanji really wanted to slap him. Just as he was about to interrupt, a scout rushed over.

"General! Liaocheng... Liaocheng has been attacked! The supplies! All the supplies have been burned!"

All the soldiers turned around in unison, and the atmosphere instantly sank to the bottom of the sea.

Chen Jing's eyes widened, and he pointed a finger at Wang Yuanji:

"I told you so! I told you long ago that he would definitely attack the supply lines! Why didn't you believe me!"

Wang Yuanji was too lazy to pay him any attention.

A flicker of panic crossed his eyes, but it was fleeting.

"Explain clearly, what exactly happened? How could there be troops inside Liaocheng? The area outside the city is flat and open; if a large force were to approach, the watchtowers would definitely see it."

The scout took a few breaths.

"Yes...it came out of the tunnel..."

"typical?"

The top general from Hedong's region suddenly narrowed his eyes.

Can you do this?

"That's not right. I know Liaocheng inside the best. How could there be a tunnel in there unless Chen Shaoxian dug it himself!"

Chen Jing shouted from the side:

"He definitely dug it up fresh; he's very uncanny, he'll hire..."

Wang Yuanji finally reached his breaking point.

"Shut up!"