Chapter 357: So, the Prime Minister of Great Wu is on our side!
Zhan Nan Pass is the border fortress that stands in the way of Darro. Darro’s people can only enter Great Wu through Zhan Nan Pass. On the square in front of Zhan Nan Pass, an old general led a group of officers and soldiers to greet Lin Beifan, who had come in accordance with the Dao.
“I am General Yu Lian, leading the officers and soldiers of Zhan Nan Pass. I pay my respects to Prime Minister.”
Yu Lian is the General in Chief of Zhan Nan Pass, a third-rank general in the imperial court. Lin Beifan quickly helped him up and smiled, saying, “General Yu, there’s no need for excessive courtesy. You’ve been guarding Zhan Nan Pass for many years, preventing Darro from invading. You’re like a steadfast pillar in the south of our realm, your contributions are commendable and hard-earned.”
“This is the duty I should fulfill, nothing to be considered as hard work,” the old general said solemnly.
Lin Beifan looked around. Behind the old general stood tens of thousands of soldiers. They wore golden armor, stood in orderly formation, their banners fluttered, forming an imposing sight that soared to the sky. “These are the troops cultivated by the old general? Very impressive, they carry a powerful presence,” Lin Beifan nodded with satisfaction.
The old general smiled, “How could this old man have such ability? The youngsters have heard that Prime Minister is coming to command the battle, leading us to invade Darro and suppress all those who aren’t loyal! Prime Minister is the war god of our realm, a master of strategy. With him at the helm, this battle is destined to be victorious. That’s why our spirits are high, eager to fight!”
“I see,” Lin Beifan nodded.
“Prime Minister!” The old general’s eyes lit up, and he couldn’t wait to say, “We’ve already made all the preparations! As long as you give the order, we can set off and march on Darro!”
“March on Darro!”
“March on Darro!”
The three armies shouted in unison, and their battle intent surged to the sky!
Lin Beifan’s mood surged along with them, and he shouted, “Very well! Officers and soldiers, make camp and rest for a day! Tomorrow morning, the army will set out and march on Darro!”
“March on Darro!”
“March on Darro!”
The enthusiastic shouts of the soldiers grew even louder!
This terrifying battle intent quickly spread to Darro, causing everyone to panic and flee in fear.
“The Prime Minister of Great Wu, Lin Beifan, has arrived at Zhan Nan Pass. He’s going to launch an attack tomorrow morning. Run for your lives!”
“To flee even before the battle has started, isn’t that going too far?”
“Too far? You have no idea! He’s the war god of Great Wu, a strategist. He’s won four large battles this year, each time against greater numbers and stronger foes. He defeated a united army of a million soldiers, and even a powerful army of over ten thousand warriors. The stronger the enemy, the more easily he wins. How can we defend against that?”
“Furthermore, this time he’s brought 18 Innate experts, along with the Innate experts from Zhan Nan Pass. There are more than 20 of them!”
“And there’s even said to be a Grandmaster protecting him from behind. Do we even stand a chance?”
“Damn it! With so many strong individuals, we have no hope of winning. Looks like I need to flee too!”
“We must flee; this is our last chance!”
People fled in panic, and nobody could stop the chaos. The city was left nearly empty!
Prince Hamu was furious, “Why run? The enemy hasn’t even attacked yet, and you’re already losing your composure! He’s just one man! Useless! All of you are useless!”
After venting his frustration, Prince Hamu continued his frantic preparations for battle.
At this moment, after a night of rest, Lin Beifan led his army of 100,000 soldiers, filled with confidence and determination, into Darro.
Originally, Darro wanted to send troops to face the Great Wu army head-on.
However, their internal situation was a mess. With so many nobles and deserters, they couldn’t organize an effective battle force. Thus, they had no choice but to defend the city, hoping to maintain some advantage.
Not long after, the Great Wu army arrived at Darro’s first city—Sha Hai City.
The city wasn’t large, with only three to four hundred thousand residents.
But who knows how many were left now.
Moro, the defending general of Sha Hai City, stood on the city wall, witnessing the massive Great Wu army with a sense of despair.
From the intelligence he had gathered, the 100,000 soldiers of the Great Wu army were all skilled and battle-hardened warriors.
Their commander was Lin Beifan, the Prime Minister of Great Wu. Although he looked like a scholar, he was a brilliant strategist, winning several large-scale battles and frightening neighboring countries with his victories. Furthermore, he had brought 18 Innate experts on this campaign, and combined with the Innates from Zhan Nan Pass, their number had exceeded 20.
Rumors said there was even a Grandmaster protecting them. Yet Moro could only muster five to six thousand soldiers, most of whom were hastily conscripted laborers.
There were barely any Innate experts, let alone a Grandmaster.
How could they fight?
It was impossible to fight!
Moro felt utterly hopeless. There was no chance of winning this battle, and he even felt like running himself! Looking at his soldiers down below, they were all trembling with fear, devoid of any fighting spirit.
Even if they didn’t want to fight, they had to fight!
Moro’s gaze swept across the entire Great Wu army, and in the midst of the troops, he saw a young man wearing a red official robe. Although he appeared young, he was surrounded by formidable experts, making him stand out. So, Moro spoke loudly, “Could you be Lin Beifan, the Prime Minister of Great Wu?”
Lin Beifan stood with his hands behind his back and said, “That’s correct, I am indeed!”
Moro shouted, “As officials of Great Wu, you’ve abandoned your loyalty to Great Wu and invaded our territory with your army. What do you intend?”
“You should be asking yourselves that!” Lin Beifan questioned loudly. “If it weren’t for Darro’s treachery, tearing apart the alliance between our nations, driving away our merchants and scholars, and encroaching upon the interests of our people, would I be here?”
General Moro’s heart was filled with bitter irony. The actions they took were indeed unethical!
In the beginning, after their defeat, they should have compensated Great Wu, yet Great Wu not only didn’t demand compensation, but also supported Darro’s development, which they should have felt grateful for.
Under Great Wu’s support, the lives of the people had improved significantly.
But now, the royal family had torn up the alliance, seizing the interests of Great Wu, and rebuilding the businesses and scholars, offending Great Wu!
Such ingratitude made anyone angry!
He couldn’t understand why the Darro royal family had done such irrational things!
“Our dynasty’s honor cannot be tarnished! Since you Darro have acted treacherously and ungratefully, we in Great Wu will naturally not be courteous! Those who are disloyal to the empire must die, and disloyal nations must be subdued! Kill! Kill! Kill!” Lin Beifan shouted loudly.
“Those who are disloyal to the empire must die!”
“Disloyal nations must be vanquished!”
“Kill! Kill! Kill!”
The 100,000-strong army shouted in unison, and their overwhelming killing intent shook the entire city!
Inside the city, both soldiers and civilians trembled in fear, their faces pale. Moro felt despair once again. There was simply no way to fight this!
Did he have to die here?
Why did they, who were clearly the cause of the problem, make them shoulder the blame?
A great sense of resentment welled up in Moro’s heart. He shouted, “Wait! Don’t be so impulsive!”
Lin Beifan asked, “Now that the two armies are in conflict, do you have something to say?”
Moro anxiously said, “Actually, it was the higher-ups who broke the alliance, the Darro royal family. It has nothing to do with us common people. We, the common people of Darro, don’t want to be enemies of Great Wu!”
Lin Beifan couldn’t understand. “What difference does that make? Isn’t the Darro royal family the embodiment of your will?”
“That was in the past; things have changed now,” Moro said bitterly. “The Darro royal family has become insatiably greedy, completely obsessed with personal gains. So, without our consent, they recklessly tore up the alliance and seized your interests. In truth, we don’t want to fight, don’t want to be your enemies. We just want to return to the days of old!”
The people in the city, both civilians and soldiers, joined in the outcry.
“Yes, they don’t want to fight at all!”
“We’ve just begun enjoying a good life; who wants to go fight a war on a full stomach?”
“It’s all because of that cursed Darro royal family. They’ve betrayed us, forsaking the alliance for their own gains!”
“Indeed, we’re all innocent!”
Lin Beifan finally realized, “So that’s the case. It seems I misunderstood you all!”
“Prime Minister of Great Wu!” Moro clasped his hands, somewhat apprehensive. “If we surrender, will things be the same as before? Will you continue sending people to conduct business, establish factories, provide various resources, and send scholars to educate us?”
With this question, the city’s residents craned their necks in anticipation!
Lin Beifan burst into laughter. “You’re asking the right person! Do you know who proposed the alliance between our nations?”
“Who?” Moro urgently asked.
Lin Beifan raised his head proudly. “It was I, indeed!” The entire audience was shocked. “Ah? It’s actually you, Prime Minister?”
Lin Beifan smiled and nodded. “That’s right! Initially, Prince Hamu of Darro came to our country to discuss reparations. Seeing that your small nation would have to bear such heavy compensation, which would burden every citizen, I couldn’t bear to see that. So, I used all my might to persuade Her Majesty and the imperial court to abolish the war reparations!”
“Later on, considering that life wasn’t easy for you, I proposed opening up trade routes between our nations, allowing both countries to trade. We provided jobs, food, and more, letting you enjoy better lives! We also sent many scholars to help you read and learn, cultivate virtue and wisdom, and become good people!”
“So, all of this was done by you, Prime Minister!” The city’s residents looked at Lin Beifan with newfound respect. It turned out that the person before them was their benefactor! The one who had brought them a better life! He was one of their own!
No wonder he seemed so friendly and approachable!
