Chapter 6: Where the Heart Leads

Li Congjing stood by the bridge over the moat, gazing at the chaotic battlefield strewn with corpses before him. His eyes, under the languid afternoon sunlight, appeared somewhat weary. Although he had displayed great bravery in the desperate battle just fought, he was utterly exhausted after the fight. The oscillation between life and death is the most draining on one's spirit, yet it also fosters personal growth

The Jin King is wise. At this moment, Wu Jingzhong stepped forward and chuckled, "As for the Jin King, according to the law, capturing and killing the enemy's main general can earn one the title of a thousand-man commander. Deputy Commander Li is young and capable, and in this time of great strife, it is precisely the time to promote him. Moreover, Deputy Commander Li has maneuvered skillfully amidst the chaotic army, beheading countless foes. If he is only granted an eighth-rank title, it is likely that the troops will not be convinced."

Compared to the previous roar, Li Congjing's last sentence undoubtedly came across as much calmer. However, this statement resonated deeply within everyone, stirring up waves of emotion, and it made all those present remember the name Li Congjing, remembering this young man covered in blood

As for Li Shaorong, as a trusted confidant of Li Cunxiu, who else would undertake the task of helping subordinates understand the leader's intentions and maintain a sense of reverence towards the leader? Being a close aide to the King of Jin, he shares a relationship with the King that is almost one of shared honor and disgrace. Moreover, Li Cunxiu would also take note of his performance

Li Shaorong saw in the distance the young man riding back while carrying a human head, and could not help but think: "This young man is no less than his father Li Siyuan!"

Li Congjing did not expect that Li Shaorong had also not entered the city, and he returned a salute, humbly saying: "General Li, please do not jest with me."

"From Jing, I have one good news and one bad news to tell you. Which one would you like to hear first?" Li Cunxiu smiled mysteriously as he saw Li Congjing enter.

On the city tower of Weizhou, the white-haired general Wu Jingzhong still stared wide-eyed, unable to believe the reality before him

To be promoted by three ranks for taking the enemy general's head amidst ten thousand troops did not bring much joy to Li Congjing; this was a way to downplay his achievements. The commanding officer was the main general of a battalion, which consisted of five companies, totaling five hundred men. Moreover, Li Congjing was merely a deputy officer. However, further up, ten commanders made a complete army, and the main general of an army was the chief commander, a significant figure in the military.

Li Congjing opened his mouth, but after a long while, he could not utter a word

I have earned my position as a deputy commander of the cavalry through military merit, yet you refuse to let me command this fine cavalry unit and instead assign me to lead the Liang army with their inferior troops

Li Congjing bowed respectfully in the direction of Li Cunxiu entering the city, expressing his gratitude. He then said to Li Shaorong, "Thank you, General Li, for your guidance. Congjing will surely repay you in the future." He recalled the words of the white-haired general from earlier; at first, he thought that this person was speaking on his behalf, but now he realized that this person clearly had ulterior motives.

Li Cunxiu waved his hand, instructing Li Shaorong to collect the heads, and stepped forward to assist Li Congjing, who naturally did not dare to accept such a great courtesy and quickly got up

Only Li Cunxiu laughed at this moment and said: "Our Jin army has gained another valiant general today"

Li Congjing was momentarily unable to think clearly

At this time, the Liang army took advantage of our great army's northern expedition against the Khitan to cross the river and continuously occupied our Weizhou, Xiangzhou, Weicheng, and Qimen, resulting in the areas west of Chanyuan and south of Xiangzhou being held by the Liang people. This time, I, the king, have returned to recapture Weizhou, but the Liang forces in the southern regions have not yet retreated, and there will inevitably be further military engagements.

Damn it, I really can't outsmart these cunning old foxes in power, Li Congjing thought to himself

Li Congjing has been acquainted with Li Cunxiu for quite some time. This Prince of Jin not only possesses extraordinary talent, but his charisma is also truly captivating. With just a simple sentence, he can transcend the rigid relationship between ruler and subject, allowing Li Congjing to feel the closeness that Li Cunxiu has towards him

Indeed, like father, like son. Li Cunxiu wore a look of great satisfaction, saying, "You have brought honor to this king"

However, why did Li Cunxiu do this

Li Cunxiu waved his hand, which could be considered a response to Wu Jingzhong. Seemingly casually, he asked Li Congjing: "Congjing, I appoint you as the deputy commander. Are you satisfied with this?"

Li Cunxiu did not immediately enter Weizhou City, but instead waited at the city gate for Li Congjing to return on horseback. Behind him, numerous generals and officials followed his gaze, looking at the blood-stained soldier from the cavalry.

Even if Li Congjing were to be less understanding, he would not reveal any thoughts at this moment. He immediately stated with certainty: "The achievements of Congjing today are entirely due to the promotion by Prince Jin. Today's great victory relies on Prince Jin's control of the overall situation and the valiant efforts of all the soldiers. As for the killing of Zhang Lang, who among the soldiers of the Ma Zhi army could not accomplish that? My insignificant contribution is already overwhelming, and I fear I may disappoint Prince Jin's expectations. How could I not be obedient?"

"Thank you, King Xie Jin, for your grace." Li Congjing said with a hint of joy, regardless of the circumstances, being promoted is always a good thing, and it is not in vain for him to have worked so hard.

Li Congjing glanced at the white-haired general, feeling puzzled. Who is this person? I don't even know him, so why is he inexplicably speaking up for me? ... However, he really did speak to my heart ...! ... It seems that this old fellow is a good person!

After Li Congjing finished speaking, he noticed Li Cunxiu nodding in apparent satisfaction, which made him secretly curl his lips in disdain. At that moment, when he caught the gaze of Wu Jingzhong smiling at him, he immediately returned a smile.

In the long term, Li Congjing understood that in order to establish himself in a chaotic world, he must build his own army. Rather than conscripting soldiers from the common people at that time, it would be far better to select from the regular troops of the Liang army. After all, it would not take much time to train them, and the six armies of the Liang state, being the imperial troops, would inherently possess greater combat strength than the ordinary local garrison troops and militia.

"After today, Commander Li is likely to become widely renowned, which is a cause for celebration." Li Shaorong said with a smile, cupping his hands in salute.

"One thousand from the horse?" This time, Li Cunxun was taken aback for a moment, then he burst into laughter, "You little rascal, what are you thinking? I meant to say, I will give you one hundred from the horse."

From Jingxing, do not fail the mission, bring back Zhang Lang's head. Li Congjing dismounted and held high the head of Zhang Lang, whose eyes were closed in death

He could not think of it for a moment. The Jin army had been engaged in continuous warfare for years, resulting in soldiers dying on the battlefield and the common people being displaced. The population in Jin had significantly decreased, and it could no longer meet the recruitment needs of the Jin army. To expand the strength of the Jin army and advance into the Central Plains, capturing the Liang army had already become Li Cunxiu's established strategy.

The commander Ma Zhidu spat a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva onto the ground, gazing intently at the figure on horseback, and said fiercely: "You really have some guts!"

Li Congjing's willow leaf armor has sustained multiple damages, with a large section in front hanging down like a piece of cloth, appearing utterly disheveled, resembling a dogtail flower

Li Shaorong stood with his sword in hand, gazing at the devastated battlefield before him. A voice floated lightly into Li Congjing's ears: "Commander Li took the enemy general's head amidst the chaos of battle, risking his life nine times out of ten, yet he was only promoted three ranks. Do you know why this is so?"

This world is indeed perilous, with open and hidden dangers on the battlefield, and the same applies off the battlefield, making every step a cause for alarm. Although Li Congjing does not understand why that old man wants to harm him, he is aware that whether true gentlemen exist in this world is debatable, but there will always be no shortage of petty individuals.

"Prince Jin, please tell me the bad news first," Li Congjing probed.

Li Congjing was overjoyed and thought to himself: If Li Cunxiu were to give me 1,000 cavalry, even if I were to be incompetent, I could still capture three to five hundred Liang troops in each of the two cities, right? Wouldn't that mean I would instantly have over 1,000 soldiers at my disposal? The commander can only lead 500 troops, so wouldn't Li Cunxiu have to give me the title of chief commander? ... At the very least, I could be a chief envoy or something like that ...! ... If that were the case, my future would be limitless ...! Indeed, it seems that this generous uncle Li Cunxiu truly cares for his dear nephew ...

Li Congjing sometimes feels that Li Cunxiu is his current role model—a man's maturity often begins with admiring the back of another man

Li Shaorong was not being pretentious and said calmly: "The world belongs to the Prince of Jin; would he be stingy over a sixth or seventh rank official? It is just that Commander Li is still young, not yet having reached the age of maturity, and previously lacking in reputation, with a shallow foundation. If he were to be promoted excessively all at once, it would provoke jealousy from all sides, which would not be nurturing but rather a way to ruin him. The Prince of Jin is considering the best for Commander Li, and Commander Li should appreciate the Prince's sincere intentions."

If Prince Jin can provide me with one thousand cavalry, I will certainly bring all the Liang troops at Wei City and Qi Gate under my command, leaving not a single one behind!" Li Congjing rubbed his hands together, unable to hide his excitement, as if he could already see thousands of troops arrayed neatly before him, shouting for Commander Li.

Li Congjing suddenly felt a surge of frustration, as if ten thousand alpacas were galloping through his heart—just when I was being promoted, there were no vacancies in the cavalry, and now I have been promoted to deputy commander, yet there are still no vacancies in the army. Do you dare to deceive me again... nephew?

The crowd did not wish to linger here any longer, and they surrounded Li Cunxiu as he entered the city

Li Congjing had just wondered why Li Shaorong, as a trusted confidant of Li Cunxiu, did not accompany him into the city. Upon hearing this, he solemnly said: "General Li, please enlighten me."

Dare I ask the King of Jin, how many horses will be allocated to the subordinate general for this campaign to Wei City and Qi Gate?

Li Cunxiu proudly raised a finger

The state of chaos in this world is indeed worrisome! Li Congjing silently mocked himself

It can be said that capturing the Liang troops and transforming them is the first step for Li Congjing to establish his own power. Li Congjing thought to himself, furthermore, would Li Cunxu allocate the same number of Jin troops to him? It could not be considered a loss. However, it seems that in order to capture the Liang army next, he must win battles, but what about the credit for these victories? No one will account for it

Li Cunxiu smiled faintly, his expression gradually turning teasing, "From Jing, you know, today's battle went smoothly, and the Liang army fled at the first sign of trouble, which is why our casualties from the cavalry were not significant." At this point, Li Cunxiu paused, unable to suppress a laugh, and said, "In other words, there is currently no vacancy for the position of deputy commander in the army!"

A few words left Li Congjing startled, feeling a chill run down his back

What? Li Congjing felt as if struck by lightning

As he spoke, a sinister smile reminiscent of a trafficker of children appeared on Li Cunxiu's face. "This time, I shall lead a great army from Xiangzhou to Weizhou. The Liang troops in cities such as Weicheng and Qimen will be entrusted to you to deal with. When the time comes, whatever number of Liang troops you can capture will be under your command. If you capture one hundred, you will be appointed as the captain; if you capture five hundred, you will be the commander; and if you can capture a thousand, I will not mind granting you the title of chief commander in advance. Moreover, for every person you capture, I will allocate an equal number of elite Jin troops to you, allowing you to become the main general leading the troops—such generous conditions, would you be willing to accept?"

"Yesterday, I, the king, stated that if you could obtain the head of the enemy general, you would be handsomely rewarded. Today, you have indeed lived up to my expectations, and I shall naturally fulfill my promise. " Li Cunxiu stroked his beard and said, "You currently hold an official position of the ninth rank. By slaying the enemy's main general, I shall promote you three ranks, appointing you as the Deputy Commander of the Mounted Troops, with a rank of the eighth grade."

Li Cunxiu did not intend to stay in Weizhou for long, so he temporarily rested at the governor's office in Weizhou. When Li Congjing saw Li Cunxiu, he was engrossed in studying a map.

The news of the death of the enemy commander spread rapidly, and the battle soon reached its conclusion. Apart from the fleeing Liang troops, the remaining forces lost all confidence in resistance and surrendered one after another

"So what about the good news?" Li Congjing tried to keep his tone sounding calm and indifferent

However, upon reconsideration, Li Congjing's mood calmed down again

Li Shaorong continued, "However, Commander Li is evidently a person of reason. Your response to King Jin will surely please him greatly. As long as King Jin shows favor, Commander Li has no reason to fear a bright future. This battle is not yet over, and I dare to assert that there will be plenty of opportunities for Commander Li to achieve merit in the future."

Not long after Li Shaorong left, someone came to deliver a message, urging Li Congjing to hurry and meet Prince Jin

What is the combat capability of the Ma Zhi? It is among the top elite forces of the time. What about the Liang army? It is hard to say they are weak, but those Liang soldiers who flee at the sight of Li Cunxun, what kind of combat capability do they possess? No matter how you look at it, they cannot be associated with strength.

The crowd following Li Cunxiu naturally echoed his sentiments, praising Li Congjing as a young hero, and remarked on Li Cunxiu's keen eye for talent, not forgetting to mention how the destruction of the Liang dynasty was imminent.