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墨書 Inktalez
In Liang City, the sand table was filled with various small flags.
Wang Lie pressed his hand on the hilt of his sword and pointed to a winding mountain range on the sand table, saying, "This is the Azure Cloud Mountain Range, connecting the borders of Wei Kingdom, Zhao Kingdom, and Qi State. Liang City, Fuli, and Zhu Yi are located to the southeast of the Azure Cloud Mountain Range. Although we control three cities, we face threats from Xiang Yu's forces, Liu Bang's forces, as well as the various lords of Zhao Kingdom and Wei Kingdom. To preserve this land of Liang City, we must continue to expand our territory, seize more cities and populations to have enough soldiers, horses, and provisions to continue resisting."
Ye Yang crossed his arms and took a deep breath. "Wang Lie, where do you think we should direct our troops?"
Wang Lie pointed at the sand table and said solemnly, "Our first choice should be to advance into Qi State, capturing Eastern County, Jibei Commandery, and Langya County. Next, we should take Licheng and Jiaodong County. Once these lands are connected, we can then seize Linzi City and bring the entire Qi State under our control. This way, we can expand northward and secure our position."
Beside them, Linghu Bao said, "My lord, the old nobility of Qi State holds significant military power and is intertwined with the old generals of the Qin Empire. They oppress the common people but pose no real threat. With your exceptional martial prowess, you could march northward and swiftly capture Eastern County, Jibei Commandery, and other County Cities to recover all of Qi State in no time!"
Ye Yang smiled slightly; he did not fully trust Linghu Bao's words. As a treasury accountant, he did not truly understand the intricacies of seizing power.
However, Wang Lie's words resonated deeply with Ye Yang. Seizing Qi Land would indeed be beneficial. Now that Xiang Yu and Liu Bang's armies had not yet divided the world among themselves, it was an opportune moment for rapid territorial expansion. Moreover, after taking Qi State, he could continue northward to Yan Kingdom. Yan Yao had always hoped that he would go to Yan Kingdom to find her; if he approached her as the ruler of Qi State, it would surely be impressive.
Thinking of this made Ye Yang smile broadly.
"My lord, do you agree?" Wang Lie asked cautiously.
Ye Yang nodded. "Yes, we will actively stockpile provisions and equipment in the near future. We will march northward soon along the eastern side of the Azure Cloud Mountain Range to capture Xue County, Jibei Commandery, Langya County, and ultimately take Linzi City for ourselves!"
"My lord is wise!"
...
In just a few days of recruiting troops and gathering resources, heroes from all directions began to flock to them. In Eastern Sea County, Qin Army Lieutenant Liu Shi led eight hundred cavalrymen who came seeking fame after hearing about Ye Yang's reputation as the Lord of Liang City for having killed Qin Shi Huang Ying Zheng. The bandit leader Sun Ping from Jiaodong County brought two thousand strong men along with countless provisions to join them. Liang City gradually became a place bustling with talent and military strength.
Horse traders from the northern desert passed through Liang City and were promptly bought out by the Azure Thunder Merchant Association for three thousand warhorses. This transaction shocked both north and south; even Pengcheng Xiang Liang sent a letter hoping that Lei Xiaodie could sell two thousand fine warhorses to Chu Army. Unfortunately for him, Lei Xiaodie unhesitatingly sold all three thousand warhorses to Ye Yang.
Moreover, within half a month, the Azure Thunder Merchant Association held seven grand auctions in succession where they sold over ten fifth-grade weapons crafted by Ye Yang at sky-high prices. The generals of Qin State flocked to them as the empire teetered on collapse; many were already calculating their own strategies for recruiting troops and acquiring horses to vie for power in their regions. High-quality weapons not only enhanced combat strength but also won over the hearts of top generals. For instance, Liu Bang seized The Inventory of Anyi Prefectural Office and bought a fifth-grade axe blade as a gift for Fan Kuai; naturally, Fan Kuai was immensely grateful.
...
After losing supplies in battle against Xiang Yu, Ying Bu was not pursued further. Song Yi returned to Chu Army harboring resentment but dared not voice it openly. Although Chancellor Huai relied heavily on Song Yi, Xiang Yu's uncle-nephew duo held great prestige within Chu Army; Chuhai Wang also did not dare to go against Xiang Yu's wishes too much.
On the other side, although Qin Ershi was incompetent and tyrannical, he was still intimidated by the Chu Army and had no choice but to recall General Zhang Han, ordering him to lead the army to suppress the Chu Army rebels.
At this time, the main force of the Qin State consisted of only 150,000 troops. Zhang Han, feeling helpless, had to carry out the emperor's orders and fought three battles against Xiang Yu in Hanoi, suffering continuous defeats. Eventually, Zhang Han personally went to Lishan and used 200,000 condemned prisoners who were building the royal tombs as the front line to engage in a major battle against Song Yi's Chu Army in Hanoi, achieving a great victory!
In this battle, the Chu Army lost over 30,000 men from its 80,000 troops, severely damaging their morale. Song Yi nearly fell into Zhang Han's trap and was almost captured, retreating in a disheveled state back to Anyang.
Xiang Yu was furious and wanted to kill Song Yi but was stopped by Chuhai Wang. After this battle, the morale of the Chu Army was significantly diminished, and they needed months to regroup before fighting Zhang Han's army again. This also relieved Ye Yang; since Xiang Yu was focused on contending with Zhang Han, Liang City would not be attacked, allowing him to proceed with his plan to move north.
...
At noon, outside Liang City on the spacious fertile land, warhorses neighed, military might was organized, and swords and armor gleamed. Ten thousand cavalry from Liang City gathered in the fields.
Wang Lie donned his armor and rode a majestic warhorse, saying, "My lord, are we really sure that this expedition consists solely of cavalry?"
"Yes."
Ye Yang nodded: "We must use our strongest mobility to seize cities continuously and win over the hearts of the old nobility of Qi State. Then we can easily capture the strongholds without much effort."
Linghu Bao spoke from behind: "Lord, you must not! An expedition without justification will surely fail!"
Ye Yang shot him a glance and said, "If you dare say another word, I will send you to the stables to feed the horses."
Linghu Bao replied: "I..."
"Raise the flag!"
"Yes!"
With a whoosh, a large flag fluttered in the wind, prominently displaying the four characters "Protecting the Nation and Ensuring People's Safety." Suddenly, Wang Lie was dumbfounded: "My lord, is this what you call justifiable?"
"Indeed!" Ye Yang nodded without blushing: "All wars are merely for the benefit of the people. Since all the feudal lords act solely for their own interests, I will raise the banner of upholding justice for the world. Wouldn't that win more hearts?"
Wang Lie looked astonished and after a moment said: "My lord is wise..."
In fact, the banner of protecting the nation and its people was raised, but it did not clarify which faction Ye Yang belonged to. He was neither part of the Qin Army nor the Chu Army, and no one could say for sure, not even Ye Yang himself. But who cares? Let's take the city first!
...
Liang City was closest to Xue County, requiring just over half a day's journey.
By evening, the Cavalry had galloped hundreds of miles to arrive at the foot of Xue County. They saw the banners flying on the city walls, still displaying the blood-red flag of the Qin Army. A soldier on the wall shouted loudly, "Who is it down there?"
Wang Lie raised his sword and stepped forward with a grin, "I'm just passing by; let me into the city..."
The soldiers on the wall responded with silence.
...
At that moment, two phantoms leaped onto the city walls, sparkling like stars—symbols of a Starry Sky Level Expert!
These two were none other than Zhao Yun and Zhang Fei, two fierce generals. For the past half month, Ye Yang had been diligently training with these two subordinates, engaging in sparring sessions. After fighting fiercely against a strong opponent like Ye Yang, these two young Dragon Warriors finally ascended to the Stellar Realm three days ago, ensuring that Ye Yang's northern expedition would be even more formidable.
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