Chapter 360: I didn’t have a choice before, but now I want to become a great warrior!
The news of the fall of the second city quickly spread to Royal Palace. Prince Hamu was greatly alarmed.
Especially upon learning that the other side didn’t even engage in battle and surrendered directly by opening the gates, he was trembling with anger. “Qingfeng, this guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, has also betrayed me?”
An official sighed bitterly, “Your Highness, it’s said that he and Moro were childhood friends from the same village, and their bond was unbreakable. That’s why he was convinced! Now, he has donned the golden armor of the Great Wu and led a large army to attack Daliang City!”
“Damn it!” Prince Hamu cursed angrily, “I promoted you all, and in return, you not only show no gratitude but stab me in the back. Each and every one of you is ungrateful, and none of you will have a good end!”
“Your Highness, please calm down! Currently, the Great Wu has gathered the forces of two cities, with a total strength exceeding 200,000. The situation is critical, and we need to consider how to respond,” the official reassured.
“Who is the defender of Daliang City?” Prince Hamu asked.
“Your Highness, the defender of Daliang City is General Nihan. He has been in the military for many years, experienced and cunning. He should be able to hold off the Great Wu for a few days,” the official reported.
“Well, so it’s General Nihan, not bad!” Prince Hamu nodded slightly.
However, a bad premonition quickly welled up in his heart. “He… He shouldn’t betray us, right?”
“Your Highness, rest assured. General Nihan is a man of integrity. He is loyal and devoted, and he shouldn’t betray us.”
“Very well, then I can be at ease.” At this moment, Lin Beifan had already led his army to the outskirts of Daliang City.
Moro and Qingfeng waved their flags and shouted from below the city walls. “General Nihan, the Darro royal family has been treacherous and heartless! For their own gain, they have disregarded the people and abandoned morality. Those who commit unjust acts are destined for self-destruction! We advise you to surrender quickly and open the gates to welcome the Prime Minister!”
“Old General, as long as you surrender and open the gates, everyone could possibly live better lives than before, even better than before! Old General, you will also become a general in the Great Wu, receiving court stipends! You’ll have the chance to rise step by step, leading the army across thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, achieving great deeds. Isn’t this better than being a mere defender and living leisurely?”
General Nihan cursed angrily, “You damn dogs! No matter how much you blabber, it’s useless! I am a man of integrity, loyal and devoted, dedicated to serving the monarch and the country. I will absolutely never commit treachery!”
“It seems there’s nothing left to discuss!”
“General Nihan, you shall bear the consequences!”
The Great Wu army unsheathed their weapons one after another, and the formidable experts of the Innate Realm flexed their muscles, eager to try their skills.
“Wait, hold on! I haven’t finished speaking yet! You young folks, always so impatient and hasty. Can’t you wait for me to finish talking before you take action?” General Nihan urgently interjected.
“What do you have to say now?” Moro asked.
“I have only one sentence now!” General Nihan waved his hand dramatically and shouted loudly, “Open the gates, welcome the Prime Minister!”
Moro and Qingfeng: “Oh my god!”
With a loud bang, the city gates opened. Lin Beifan and the others were joyfully welcomed into the city.
Moro looked puzzled, “General Nihan, didn’t you say you were a man of integrity? How come…”
General Nihan stood resolutely, “This is indeed my integrity. I’d rather kneel down and live than stand and die. I absolutely won’t give you the chance to draw your swords!”
Moro spat out blood, “Cough!”
“General Nihan, didn’t you say you were loyal and devoted?” Qingfeng asked.
General Nihan continued firmly, “I am indeed a loyal person, but my loyalty is only to the Great Wu! I was born as a person of the Great Wu, and I’ll die as a ghost of the Great Wu!”
Qingfeng spat out blood, “Cough!”
Lin Beifan sighed with emotion, “Old General, your determination is truly impressive! People have always said you’re cunning and calculating, and I didn’t believe it. Now I do! With you in the Great Wu, how could it not prosper?”
“Absolutely!” General Nihan glanced at the large army behind Lin Beifan and said, “This battle doesn’t need to be fought at all. The ultimate result is the city’s destruction, so why bother? Besides, I’ve long been displeased with the royal family’s actions and have never done their bidding. Since that’s the case, why not go against them?”
Lin Beifan nodded, “You’re absolutely right, Old General!”
With sincere emotions, General Nihan turned to Prime Minister Lin and said, “Prime Minister, I didn’t have a choice before, but now I want to become a great warrior! I’ve heard of your benevolence and righteousness. Can you give me this opportunity?”
Touched, Lin Beifan responded, “Your sense of duty is admirable, and I will arrange it!”
Lin Beifan immediately had a set of majestic and imposing golden armor brought in and helped General Nihan put it on. General Nihan was very pleased and led his own forces to join Lin Beifan’s army.
As a result, the imperial army quickly swelled to 300,000 strong.
Everyone was in awe, and the troops continued to grow as they fought.
In just two days, the army had expanded to 300,000, doubling its original size!
Hamu’s household quickly received news of General Nihan’s surrender, which nearly left them speechless.
They had initially held some hope for him, but he surrendered at the first opportunity. He didn’t even put up a fight and opened the gates without any preparation.
“I’m furious!” Prince Hamu pounded his chest and yelled in frustration.
“Your Highness, the Great Wu forces have now expanded to 300,000, while our forces have suffered a loss of 200,000. The situation is extremely unfavorable for us! We must increase our troops in order to counter the fierce Great Wu army!” an official reported.
Prince Hamu nodded with a serious expression, “You’re right, we must conscript more troops!”
So, Prince Hamu immediately began an extensive conscription campaign. Anyone who met the basic criteria—being a healthy male with all limbs intact—was drafted into the army.
This simple criterion led to widespread discontent among the people.
“Damn it! A while ago, they tore up the alliance between the two countries, cut off our livelihood, and left us with no way out! Now they’re not even allowing us to complain, just slapping us in the face! And now they’re dragging us into the army. Are they trying to drive us to our deaths?”
“Has the court gone mad? Are they making so many brainless decisions?”
“The officials’ heads must have been squeezed by the door. They won’t let us die in peace!”
“These days are getting tougher, I can’t bear it anymore!”
“We might as well revolt! There’s no future for us anyway!”
“Exactly! Let’s revolt against those bastards!”
Several small riots erupted among the people, leaving Prince Hamu with a splitting headache.
“Who dares to revolt? Execute them all, leave no one behind!”
And at this time, Lin Beifan continued to lead his army to capture cities and expand their territory. They had now reached the fourth city, Duyu City.
Seeing the massive army approach the city, the defending generals didn’t say a word and simply surrendered by opening the gates. Moro, Qingfeng, and Nihan were dumbfounded. “Why did you surrender so quickly? At least let us say a few words!”
The defending generals sneered, “Do I need you to tell me? Can’t I see with my own eyes? Look at this vast army of people. How can I defend a small city against this? I’d be brainless to fight against you!”
Moro, Qingfeng, and Nihan: “….”
“Looking at you three, I understand everything!” The defending generals boasted, “As long as I surrender quickly, there will definitely be a place for me in the Great Wu!”
This pattern continued.
Every time the large army arrived, the people within the city immediately surrendered, welcoming Lin Beifan into the city.
As a result, Lin Beifan’s forces grew larger and larger, quickly expanding from 300,000 to 400,000, and then to 500,000.
The Great Wu commanders were bewildered.
He was just enjoying hotpot and reciting poems, and in the blink of an eye, the city surrendered!
Is this battle really that easy to win?
“Why is this happening, Prime Minister?” Someone asked, and everyone listened intently.
Lin Beifan smiled, “Don’t judge this battle by how easy it seems! Before the battle even began, I had made thorough preparations.”
“Prime Minister, please elaborate!” the crowd inquired.
“I’ve been implementing this plan for a year and a half now!” Lin Beifan laughed, “When Darro Country sent an envoy to negotiate in the capital, we didn’t demand compensation. Instead, we opened ports, promoted trade, and established educational initiatives to improve the lives of the Darro citizens. Now it’s clear that it has worked!”
The crowd nodded slightly.
“The reason for all of this was to gradually annex Darro without their noticing! However, the Darro royal family caught onto our intentions and tore up the alliance. They expelled our traders and educators!”
“As a result, the lives of the Darro citizens were returned to their previous state! You all know that going from frugality to extravagance is easy, but returning to frugality from extravagance is difficult! Naturally, the actions of the Darro royal family led to public anger!”
“So, we manipulated the situation, escalated tensions between the two sides, causing turmoil within the Darro royal family! Coupled with our advancing army and constant pressure, chaos ensued. They not only lost their sense of morality but also their people’s support!”
“In reality, what common people want is quite simple—having enough to eat, being warmly clothed, and getting good rest! However, these simple desires couldn’t be fulfilled by the Darro royal family, but we, the Great Wu, can fulfill them. Naturally, they lean towards our side,” Lin Beifan said with a smug smile. “So, when our army arrives, they don’t want to oppose us at all. Moreover, they can’t win in a fight and would risk their lives. Why bother?”
“So, only one path remains—surrender! After surrendering, everyone’s lives are saved, and they can even return to their previous lives, or even have better lives. Isn’t that good? If it were you, how would you choose?”
“Of course, I’d surrender!” Everyone burst into laughter.
They praised Lin Beifan incessantly.
“The Prime Minister truly is a master of strategy and tactics!”
“He started laying the groundwork more than a year ago, and from the beginning, he was in an unbeatable position. He defeated the enemy without even fighting!”
“Amazing! Truly impressive! We’re deeply impressed!”
“Prime Minister, please accept our salute!”
Two more days passed, and Lin Beifan finally led his troops to the capital of Darro.
That day, a force of 600,000 soldiers encamped outside the city walls! The people in the city were stunned. The enormous army, with its sea of soldiers and fluttering banners, surrounded the city where the royal palace was located, forming layer upon layer. There was no way in or out!
