Chapter Nine: A Lone Rider Exits the Pass
Oh my, the disparity in troop strength is too great said Wu Junyi with a sobbing tone The Hexi Fortress only has one light infantry regiment from the Fourth Division and they are all new recruits Qinghan sister what are we going to do This is all that bastard's fault If it weren't for him bringing us here how could we have encountered this unfortunate situation
... ...
A soldier had just managed to squeeze his way to the porridge bucket, and before he could indulge himself, soldiers behind him surged forward, attempting to push him aside. The soldier immediately became furious, grabbed a ladle, scooped up a steaming bowl of porridge, and poured it over the heads of the few soldiers who were pushing the hardest. A chorus of screams erupted from the crowd.
Meng Hu finished speaking and turned to leave, without pausing for a moment
The competition for cornmeal steamed buns quickly escalated to a fever pitch
"Are you the division commander of the Fourth Division?" As soon as the iron door of the cell opened, Wu Junyi rushed out first and exclaimed in a delicate voice, "Do you know that you have caused a great disaster?"
... ...
These soldiers all had fierce expressions, their eyes gleaming with menace, charging forward like frenzied wild bulls.
Zhao Qinghan had not finished speaking when a pair of delicate fists suddenly clenched tightly, and her breathing began to quicken.
The division commander issued an order, and the soldiers guarding the small black room did not dare to disobey; they hurriedly stepped forward to unlock the door and release the person inside
The beaten soldier lay on the ground, groaning, not retaliating at all. Only after the big soldiers who had attacked him had chased off into the distance did he slowly sit up, a look of satisfaction on his face as he gazed at the four buns that had been flattened beneath him. A sly smile of triumph crept onto his lips as he began to enjoy them with delight
It is a misunderstanding, this is entirely a misunderstanding
Zhao Qinghan glared at Wu Junyi with displeasure and asked Lei Ming, "General Lei, is it true that the army of the Mingyue Empire has already attacked?"
At the moment when Zhao Qinghan was in a state of great anxiety, the division commander of the Fourth Division, Lei Ming, hurriedly arrived with a flustered expression
Therefore, once the forces of the Mingyue Empire press forward, the Hexi Fortress will be surrounded, and Zhao Qinghan and her companions are concerned that the Fifth Brigade inside the fortress will not be able to hold out until the arrival of reinforcements
Upon seeing the imposing army of the Mingyue Empire, Zhao Qinghan could not help but gasp in cold air and said: "The Mingyue Empire's military strength amounts to three and a half battalions! One heavy infantry battalion, two light infantry battalions, and at least three companies of archers, javelin throwers, and logistics troops"
The soldiers in the training ground immediately scattered in a rush, hurrying back to the barracks to grab their weapons. The atmosphere in the entire military camp quickly became tense, and a chilling aura of impending violence began to permeate the air
A tense and even desperate atmosphere began to envelop the entire fortress, with almost all the new recruits feeling anxious in their hearts. Although they had undergone more than a month of military training, training and actual combat were entirely different matters. The current situation appeared to be so dire, as the enemy not only had archers and heavily armored infantry, but their numbers were also several times greater than those of our side
Zhao Qinghan, who was locked in the prison cell, and the female soldiers of the Qingyi Guard became anxious
The Tianlang Fortress is a true stronghold, where one man can hold the pass against a thousand, whereas the Hexi Fortress is not quite the same.
Although the Hexi Fortress and the Sirius Fortress are both known as the two great strongholds on the western frontier of the Empire, there are still essential differences between the two.
Under the watchful gaze of tens of thousands of soldiers from both armies, Meng Hu rode alone, winding out of the pass, fearlessly advancing towards the dark and imposing army of the Ming Dynasty.
Wu Junyi's untimely remarks, along with the *illustrated* book, have inevitably caused a very adverse negative impact in the hearts of the soldiers
Following the direction of Zhao Qinghan's gaze, Wu Junyi saw that despicable scoundrel. The scoundrel strode up to the reviewing stand, flanked by a group of fierce soldiers. Immediately, a sharper whistle sounded across the parade ground, causing the soldiers who were scrambling for congee and steamed buns to come to a halt.
It is settled, we will discuss last night's matter later
... ...
Suddenly, a cacophony of footsteps echoed outside the cell. Wu Junyi and two female soldiers hurriedly rose to the small window. They observed that the sky outside had nearly brightened. A group of cooks was passing in front of the cell, carrying dozens of steaming buckets of porridge and several large baskets of cornmeal buns.
The soldier who first rushed to the center of the training ground unceremoniously picked up a large basket of steamed buns and turned to sprint towards the edge of the training ground. However, he was soon targeted by a group of burly soldiers, who, like hunters chasing a rabbit, cornered him into a dead end. They then approached him and, with a flurry of punches, knocked him to the ground, before starting to fight over the buns in the basket.
The commander of the Fourth Division is indeed a scoundrel; not only is he unreasonable, but he is also exceedingly arrogant. Knowing full well that she is the governor's daughter, he still dares to arrest her. This is simply a blatant disregard for the authority of the Western governor. Throughout her life, Zhao Qinghan has encountered all kinds of people, but she has never met a man like this.
This is not surprising; the type of commander determines the type of soldiers
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from behind. Suddenly turning around, Lei Ming had already led Zhao Qinghan and the female soldiers of the Qingyi Guard swiftly up the city wall, meeting Meng Hu's cold and stern gaze. Zhao Qinghan let out a muffled grunt and defiantly glared back at him. A faint smirk of mockery instantly appeared at the corner of Meng Hu's mouth.
As a veteran, Meng Hu certainly understood the feelings of the new recruits at this moment. He was even more aware that if this tense atmosphere continued to spread among the new soldiers, it was likely that before the Mingyue Army launched its attack, these inexperienced recruits would collapse on their own. Without any hesitation, Meng Hu turned and descended the gate.
Out of necessity, the Glorious Empire had no choice but to settle for a second-best option, constructing a sturdy fortress at the foothills of Qingyun Mountain on the northern side of the Grand Canyon
Yes. A hint of bitterness appeared on Leiming's face as he said solemnly, "The army of the Mingyue Empire has indeed come, and they are advancing in great numbers!"
Zhao Qinghan was also startled by the tremendous commotion and could not help but walk to the small window. A female soldier consciously stepped aside, giving her place to Zhao Qinghan. Upon witnessing the scene unfolding in the parade ground, Zhao Qinghan could hardly believe her eyes; having been raised in luxury since childhood, she had never encountered such a brutal sight.
He strode swiftly to the cell where Zhao Qinghan and a group of Qingyi Guards were held, and thundered, "Why aren't you opening the door quickly?"
On this night, Zhao Qinghan, Wu Junyi, and the more than one hundred female soldiers of the Qingyi Guard hardly slept at all, enduring the long hours until dawn. Firstly, the prison cell was as cold as an ice cellar, making it impossible to sleep. Secondly, having never experienced such humiliation since childhood, none of them had the heart to sleep.
The person Wu Junyi scolded is undoubtedly Meng Hu
Thunderous silence: "This ... ... "
Meng Hu stood resolutely atop the city wall, his expression indifferent as he gazed down at the dark mass of the Ming army.
Soon, Zhao Qinghan lost the inclination to hold a grudge against Meng Hu
Sister Qinghan, that bastard is truly despicable. Wu Junyi clenched her delicate fist, expressing her anger and indignation as she said, "How dare he actually capture us and lock us up in such... such a place. When I get back, I will definitely tell Uncle Zhao to teach that detestable bastard a lesson."
Meng Hu turned around suddenly, his gaze landing on Wu Junyi's face like a knife
Moments later, the tightly closed door slowly opened
Wu Junyi fell silent, no longer daring to utter another word. Seeing the fierce light in Meng Hu's eyes, she feared that if she spoke again, he would throw her directly down from the closed door.
Then, Wu Junyi and her companions witnessed the most unforgettable scene of their lives
Leiming initially wanted to refuse, but he thought to himself that Zhao Qinghan was the only daughter of Governor Zhao Yue. If anything were to happen to her, who would bear the responsibility? However, upon further reflection, if the Hexi fortress were to fall, Zhao Qinghan would undoubtedly be in danger as well. He nodded in agreement and said, "Very well, but you all should not stray too far from me"
Zhao Qinghan's face was pale and her lips were tightly pressed together, remaining silent.
Under the watchful eyes of Wu Junyi and the two female soldiers, the cook marched straight past the prison cell, carrying congee and steamed buns to the center of the parade ground. He then placed the congee and buns on the ground, and the lead cook immediately blew the whistle. In an instant, the sharp sound of the whistle pierced the morning silence
Meng Hu's cold voice echoed throughout the entire schoolyard, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present. "The army of the Mingyue Empire is approaching the fortress. If you do not wish to die, quickly grab your weapons and assemble at the city wall!"
The Hexi Corridor stretches over 300 miles from east to west and nearly 100 miles from north to south. Within the canyon, there flows a river several thousand meters wide. To construct a formidable barrier that completely blocks the canyon would require an extraordinary amount of engineering, and the number of troops stationed would also need to be exceedingly large; otherwise, it would not be sufficient to defend the entire fortress
The sharp whistle had not yet ceased when the military camp surrounding the parade ground suddenly erupted into commotion. In the next moment, countless figures surged out of the barracks, rushing towards the parade ground like sand flowing into the sea, and then they hurriedly charged towards the dozens of barrels of porridge and the many baskets of cornmeal buns placed in the center of the parade ground.
Thunder was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he repeatedly explained, "What happened last night was entirely a misunderstanding. Meng Hu definitely did not know Miss Qinghan's identity. If he had known, he certainly would not have acted so recklessly"
The long and arduous night has finally passed, and a faint glimmer of dawn is beginning to appear on the eastern horizon
From a strategic perspective, the current Hexi Fortress is unlikely to serve as a true barrier; at most, it can only be used for early warning. This is because there is a beacon tower built every few dozen miles on Qingyun Mountain. Once the Mingyue Empire's army truly invades, the message can be swiftly transmitted to Xiling and even the imperial capital using the beacon signal.
Zhao Qinghan said solemnly: "General Lei, the Qingyi Guard is also a soldier of the Western Corps. If possible, we would like to participate in the defense of the Hexi Fortress!"
Last night's events were known to Lei Ming. Initially, he thought that Meng Hu had merely detained the private guards of a nearby powerful family, so he did not pay much attention to it. However, upon waking up, he discovered that Meng Hu had actually captured the governor's daughter and the accompanying Qingyi guards. This revelation was truly significant, prompting him to rush over to secure their release.
"Then you are mistaken," Wu Junyi said coldly, "That guy is fully aware of Sister Qinghan's identity!"
Sheep, I have some unfortunate news to share with you
"Sister Qinghan, who are these people?" Wu Junyi exclaimed softly, "They all look like wolves; what kind of soldiers are these?"