Abandoning literature for martial arts, starting by unleashing the beauty's bow.

Liu Zhenting smiled slightly, "If you want to forcibly take Shiyang Pass by force, even if I give you another battalion, I'm afraid you won't be able to do so."

Upon hearing this, not only Xu Huang, but everyone in the council hall looked puzzled.

Liu Zhenting's smile remained unchanged as he gently clapped his hands.

Then, a door on one side of the council chamber opened, and a man slowly walked out and stood behind Liu Zhenting.

Upon seeing this person, everyone in the room showed expressions of shock.

Why?

This person looks remarkably like Liu Zhenting; their physique and appearance are almost identical.

Seeing the shocked and bewildered looks on his subordinates' faces, Liu Zhenting laughed and pointed to the man behind him, saying:

"At that time, he will follow Zhao Beiwang out of the pass, and I will stay behind."

The Marshal's personal guards' attempt to burn down the Echo Valley's granary was futile; it was like throwing meat buns to a dog—a one-way trip.

Meanwhile, as long as the plan at Wangyue Gate proceeds smoothly, I can lead the Second Battalion to quickly capture Shiyang Pass.

Xu Huang's face lit up with delight. "General, you have such foresight! With you stationed at Shiyang Pass, the other troops left behind are no threat."

The generals of the Zhenxi Army in the field immediately followed suit, showering him with flattery.

Liu Zhenting's face showed a smug look, and he said loudly, "I have endured and planned for too long for today, and my brothers have also suffered too much pent-up frustration."

But soon, we will be able to sweep away all this frustration.

Shiyang Pass is our Shiyang Pass. How dare we allow outsiders to meddle with it? How dare we allow outsiders to point fingers at us?

Moreover, not only Shiyang Pass, but also other vast territories of Daqing will be in the hands of our Zhenxi Army.

At this point, he raised his voice, "Everyone, the opportunity has arrived. As long as you do your best and seize this opportunity..."

Before long, you will all become powerful figures who govern a city or a region, enjoying endless wealth and glory!

Upon hearing these words, everyone in the council hall was filled with excitement and fervor.

Lu Fengnian stood in the crowd, his face flushed, his eyes shining, and he was especially excited.

……

Three days later, the main and auxiliary gates on the west side of Shiyang Pass were opened, and a massive army of 300,000 marched out, heading straight for Wangyue Gate.

Before the troops set off, they received no news. As soon as Zhao Beiwang's order arrived, they immediately packed their bags and set off.

Of the many paths on Wangyue Mountain, only one is suitable for large-scale military marches.

At a narrow pass along this road, Daqing built a small pass called Wangyue Gate.

A thousand-strong squad is stationed inside the gate to control the area.

The Wangyue Gate is higher in the east and lower in the west. People on the east side can look down on those on the west side. It is easy to defend and difficult to attack for people on the east side, but difficult to defend and easy to attack for people on the west side.

If Daqing only sends a thousand-man squad to Wangyue Gate, Dazhou would need at least five times the military strength and pay a heavy price to take it over.

However, if the Great Zhou were to capture Wangyue Gate, it would be easily reclaimed by the Great Qing.

This is why, despite having the advantage, the Great Zhou Dynasty never attempted to seize the Moon Gazing Gate.

……

Soon, the Daqing army that came out of Shiyang Pass arrived at Wangyue Gate, then went through the pass and went to a place about five miles away from Wangyue Gate, where they built fortifications and set up camp.

The Zhenxi Army was the main force of Daqing and was positioned on the left flank of the central army.

The first, third, and fourth battalions were lined up in a row and displayed on the position.

The Fourth Battalion was positioned on the far left, the First Battalion on the right, and the Third Battalion in the center.

Wan Song's thousand-man unit was located in the very center of the third battalion, forming a defensive line and stationed on a small mountain peak.

……

When the Daqing army passed through Wangyue Gate, the Dazhou army immediately reacted.

They immediately assembled their troops and advanced towards Wangyue Mountain, eventually setting up camp about ten miles away from the Daqing army.

The Daqing army numbered 300,000, with Wangyue Mountain and Wangyue Gate at their backs; the Dazhou army numbered less than 100,000, stationed on a plain, facing each other from afar.

The Daqing army was three times the size of the Dazhou army and held a certain geographical advantage.

This is a great opportunity to strike.

However, Zhao Beiwang did not act rashly.

His objective was clear: this place was merely a distraction for the Great Zhou people; the real battlefield was in Echo Valley.

More importantly, without the fortified city as a base, Zhao Beiwang, despite having three times the number of men, was not confident enough to defeat the Great Zhou.

Even if they win, they will probably have to pay a considerable price.

Meanwhile, the Great Zhou Dynasty was not in a hurry to start a war immediately.

Behind them, a steady stream of troops arrived to reinforce them, their numbers growing ever larger.

Zhao Beiwang constantly sent out scouts to investigate the size of the Zhou army.

According to the plan to find him, he only needed to stay outside Wangyue Gate for two days before he could withdraw from Wangyue Gate and return to Shiyang Pass.

The Marshal's personal guards had set off three days ago, and five days would be enough for them to reach Echo Valley and then burn down the granaries.

Everything seemed to be unfolding as Zhao Beiwang had planned and anticipated.

Although the Zhou army continued to gather, it was still at a disadvantage.

The first day passed peacefully, and both sides were unharmed.

The Great Zhou's military strength reached 120,000, but it was still far inferior to that of the Great Qing.

Zhao Beiwang estimated that in another day, the number of troops in the Great Zhou army should reach about 150,000.

At that time, the Great Zhou might launch an attack.

However, Zhao Beiwang already had a plan. Once it got dark, he would mobilize his troops and retreat back to Wangyue Gate in an orderly manner.

By the morning of the third day, when the Zhou people discovered this, they had already safely retreated to Shiyang Pass.

At that time, the granary in Echo Valley had also been burned down.

Without supplies, the Great Zhou would inevitably be unable to hold out and would have no choice but to retreat.

However, ideals are often grand, while reality is often harsh.

The next day, just as dawn broke, the Great Zhou army suddenly launched an attack. The Great Zhou army split into three routes, attacking the central army and the left and right flanks of the Great Qing army respectively.

With fewer than 130,000 men, they dared to launch an attack on 300,000.

While surprised, Zhao Beiwang also felt anger rising in his heart.

He was, after all, a dignified and mighty general, yet the people of the Great Zhou were showing him far too little respect.

Meanwhile, with more than half a day left before the planned retreat time, he had to stay here to buy time for the Marshal's personal guard battalion.

He immediately issued the order to attack.

Subsequently, the Daqing army split into three groups and marched towards the Da Zhou army.

Soon, the soldiers at the front of both sides collided.

In an instant, swords flashed, blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

The moment they clashed, the difference in their strength was immediately apparent.

The individual combat skills of the Da Zhou soldiers far surpassed those of the Da Qing soldiers. If it weren't for the overwhelming numerical advantage of the Da Qing soldiers, they probably wouldn't have been able to withstand a single charge from the Da Zhou soldiers.