Chapter 50

Chapter 50: The flames of war raged and the drums of war sounded

Have you not heard, the war drums in the west roar like thunder, fighting for a handful of soil in the red dust; 

have you not seen, the beacon fires in the east burn across the borderlands, blood washing away the humiliation 

of a thousand miles of rivers and mountains. 

Women and children rush to flee, weeping bitterly; 

men compete to don their armor, riding forth to take the enemy's head.

"Your Majesty," the Minister of War Zhong Xin hurriedly reported as soon as the morning court began, "This 

morning, an urgent military report came from the border town. Ten days ago, Guangyu Kingdom suddenly sent 

troops. Yuwen Fengchun led 400,000 troops to approach our border town. Now, the three important military 

towns of Wancheng, Qumen Pass, and Sanli Town have been lost one after another due to insufficient troops. 

Now our army has retreated to the line of Lanyang and Lianchi, and Yuwen Fengchun's army has arrived outside 

Lanyang City."

"General An ping requests immediate reinforcements. If Lanyang falls, the Grand Army of Guangyu will be able 

to march straight into our heartland, and the situation will be dire!" As soon as these words were spoken, the 

officials were in an uproar.

Si Cang Qing showed no sign of panic. He said calmly, "Zhèn have said that if someone offends me, zhèn will 

fight back. Now zhèn hereby announce that General An ping will be the Grand Marshal of the Western Expedition,

commanding the soldiers in the southwest to recapture our three cities..."

"Luo Shan and Luo Shui, come forward and listen to my orders."

"I am here!"

"Zhèn appoints you two as the left and right vanguards of the Western Expedition. Immediately meet up with 

General Chen Yu and others from Jiangxi, and go to Lanyang to help Anping."

"Zhèn orders you to recover the lost territory within three months. Then, lead your troops south..."

"Destroy Guangyu!"

"I will definitely live up to the trust of the emperor!"

Si Cang Qing looked at Zhong Xin again and said, "Announcement to the world, the Emperor of Guangyu is 

unkind and has sent out unjust wars. Three of our cities have been lost one after another. The people's 

accumulations have been burned by the enemy, the people's homes have been destroyed by the enemy, and the 

people's safety has been destroyed by the enemy. The people of Cang Huan have been displaced, their families 

have been broken up, and their lives have been destroyed because of the enemy's unkindness and injustice. This 

blood feud must be avenged. The Ministry of War will recruit new soldiers from all over the Kingdom from now 

on."

"The new soldiers will be trained by the Imperial Guards. Zhèn will give you six months.” 

Si Cang Qing said in a cold voice, "Now that the war has begun, officials from other departments must cooperate 

with each other and help our frontline generals to kill the enemy with peace of mind."

"I obey your orders!"

The shouts of the officials shook the entire hall, startling the birds perched on the branches outside the hall and 

causing them to flutter away.

In a hall somewhere else, there was melodious music and graceful dancing of clothes, creating a scene of peace 

and happiness.

"Your Highness," a middle-aged man said after taking a big gulp of wine, "Several border towns of Cang Huan 

Kingdom have been lost one after another. Now is a great opportunity for us to take advantage of the situation and 

move in."

"Not appropriate, not appropriate," as soon as the person finished speaking, another person interjected, "Now is 

not the time. Since Si Cang Qing so easily removed the Qin family and implemented unprecedented reforms, in 

less than three years, he has restored the once-declining national power to its former strength. Although the Cang 

Huan Kingdom has lost key strongholds this time, it cannot be ruled out that it is not part of Si Cang Qing's trap."

The man who had spoken before sneered, "You civil servants are so cowardly. You keep talking nonsense. Can 

you just give up the three important towns?"

"What's impossible?" the man argued, blushing, "Back then, in order to get rid of the Qin family, he killed Gao 

Fei and three thousand elite soldiers without hesitation!"

"Alright," at the moment when the two were arguing fiercely, Cheng TianYi spoke up, a playful smile at the 

corner of his mouth, "What are you fighting about? You haven't even fought with outsiders, and you're already 

turning on each other." 

"Your Highness, please calm down."

Cheng TianYi smiled evilly, "Old Yan, although you are a general, just listen to me this time, and we will have 

unexpected gains."

The man called Lao Yan was puzzled, "But, hasn't Your Highness reached an agreement with Yuwen Rui?" They 

conquered Cang Huan together and divided the world equally.

Hearing this, Cheng TianYi laughed, "Old Yan, you are a brave general of our Hongcheng Kingdom. Haven't you 

heard that all is fair in war?"

All’s fair in war? Everyone was stunned, looking at the arrogant young man on the throne, unable to figure out the 

thoughts of this unpredictable Third Prince.

"Don't worry about this matter, everyone. I have it all figured out," Cheng TianYi resumed his demeanor of a 

modest gentleman. "On such a fine occasion, you should all enjoy the Twelve's performance!" 

The crowd echoed in agreement, all focusing intently on the fiery red figure dancing in the center of the venue.

Cang Huan Battle Report:

On July 17, General Anping repelled Yuwen Fengchun's army and pursued the victory; on August 11, the Western 

Expedition Army recovered the lost Sanli Town; on September 5, the lost Qumen Pass was recovered; on 

September 30, Wancheng was recovered.

From then on, all the lost lands of Cang Huan were recovered.

On October 15, General Anping led the entire army and swore an oath outside the city of Wan to conquer the 

Guangyu Kingdom in the southwest and flatten the enemy's territory to avenge the unjust invasion of the 

Guangyu Kingdom.

The autumn scenery is delightful, and the sky is high and the air is fresh. 

Qiu Ping Tian, with a beaming smile, bid farewell to a few people, and finally walked up to Si Cang Qing, 

looking at him gently, "Qingdi, it might take some time before we meet again after this farewell, so you must take 

good care of yourself."

The military rations that Si Cang Qing had asked to be raised secretly before have been almost collected in 

various places. Now, Qiu Ping Tian has decided to go to various places in person to take charge of the 

transportation and storage of military rations.

Si Cang Qing nodded slightly, and then spoke softly: "Mo, Zi, you two will go together to protect him, and there 

must not be any mistakes."

Feng Mo and Feng Zi immediately appeared, kneeling on one knee and responding in a deep voice, "We humbly 

obey the master's orders." 

Qiu Ping Tian was slightly taken aback, then softened his tone even more, "Qing Di, there's no need to go to such 

lengths. Mo and Zi are your shadow guards, how can they follow me..."

"Nothing." Si Cang Qing didn't care. Qiu Ping Tian was now in charge of the Commerce and Agriculture Bureau, 

and his safety was extremely important. Moreover, the military rations also depended on him. If something 

unexpected happened, the losses would be heavy.

After taking a deep look at Si Cang Qing, Qiu Ping Tian turned around and left.

◇Cang Huan◇Seven Palaces◇

Night, as dark as ink. 

Inside the military camp, there was a profound silence, not even a whisper of wind. Occasionally, a squad of 

soldiers would patrol in an orderly manner. 

Suddenly, the flames on the torches flickered slightly, then returned to calm in an instant.

"Hey?" A soldier exclaimed softly, then rubbed his eyes and muttered to himself, "There are still geese in the 

middle of the night! They fly really fast..."

In a huge, hidden and sealed warehouse, a middle-aged man in black couldn't help laughing, "Palace Master, I 

told you long ago that you shouldn't wear white clothes when you work at night. Now you've gone too far and 

people think you're a goose."

Ignoring the other party, the handsome young man in white just looked at the warehouse and smiled wickedly, 

"Alas, pity those farmers who work so hard to grow crops. So much grain..."

With excited malice in his eyes, Qi Shuangran glanced at the man in black and said, "Grand Protector, let's do it!" 

Although they were highly skilled in martial arts, the army of Yuwen Fengchun had strict military discipline and 

it took them a long time to sneak in, so they had to seize the opportunity now.

Suddenly, the earth-shaking emergency drumbeats rang out in the originally quiet military camp.

The soldiers hurried out of the tent, only to hear the hoarse shouting, "Hurry up, the granary is on fire! Hurry up, 

help!"

Suddenly, the military camp was in chaos.

Yuwen Fengchun silently watched the raging fire. He slowly clenched his hands into fists, and pinched his palms 

with his fingertips. After a while, he gritted his teeth and said, "Si Cang Qing, you are indeed ruthless!”

"Come here, thoroughly investigate the fire in the granary! All those on duty tonight will be executed according 

to military law for dereliction of duty!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Yuwen Fengchun waved his sleeves and left, returning to his own tent, shouting, 

"Someone come!"

"Present!" 

"Is the Shadow Master's injury fully healed?" 

"Replying to the Prince, the Shadow Master's injury is completely healed, and his power has fully recovered."

"Tell him to set off immediately and rush to Luomen Pass!"

In an ordinary courtyard in Wancheng, two figures floated down.

Qi Shuangran frowned tightly, looking at the black and white stains on his clothes. "My favorite piece of clothing 

has been ruined like this. Hmph, Si Cang Qing, if I see you again, you won't get off easy!"

The Grand Protector looked up at the sky, speechless. What could he say? It was clearly the Palace Master's own 

wishful thinking to help the Emperor burn the enemy's food. It was also the Palace Master himself who insisted 

on wearing this dress to sneak into the military camp. The dress was made of silk, and it was a blessing that it 

could be preserved intact in the sea of ​​fire.

Instantly, Qi Shuangran regained his carefree and uninhibited look, sitting down casually, looking lazy, 

"Qingqing, you have to thank me this time!"

Yuwen Fengchun's granary was reduced to ashes overnight; the Western Expedition Army of Wancheng took the 

opportunity to repel them in one fell swoop, and within a few days, they captured the three border cities of 

Yiguan of Guangyu State and approached the military stronghold of Luomen Pass!

"Why was Yuwen Fengchun's granary burned down?"

Inside the imperial study, several people were somewhat puzzled, but it was undeniable that this was beneficial 

and harmless to them, and it was also a perfect opportunity for a counterattack.

Si Cang Qing was flipping through the military report in his hand. Now the Anping army had been at Luomen 

Pass and had been deadlocked for nearly half a month. It was unable to advance any further and had launched 

several surprise attacks and retreated thirty miles away.

"General Anping is both wise and brave. When it comes to leading troops in battle, even Yuwen Fengchun is no 

match for him," Liu Yi analyzed calmly, "Why can't he take down Luomen Pass now?"

Unless someone extraordinary helps.

"Your Majesty, what should we do now?" Zhong Xin asked Si Cang Qing. The Anping army was now in enemy 

territory, which was already disadvantageous. If Luomen Pass could not be captured soon, it would be a stalemate 

with no benefits for them. 

While listening, Si Cang Qing was also looking at the detailed information in his hand when suddenly, his eyes 

narrowed.

The military report said that during the second siege, the Anping army and the vanguard soldiers were trapped in 

a strange formation and were almost destroyed, with heavy casualties. It was for this reason that they withdrew 

their troops thirty miles away.

After closing the secret memorial, Si Cang Qing looked up at the worried people and spoke slowly, "Zhèn has 

decided to lead the army in person!"

After being stunned for a while, several people finally reacted. Liu Yi was the first to object, "Your Majesty, the 

Kingdom cannot be without a ruler for a day. If you lead the army in person, the court will be leaderless."

Si Cang Qing looked at him calmly, "How can my court officials be unable to do anything without me? Liu Yi, 

when zhèn is away from the palace, you will handle the court affairs. If you encounter any difficulties, you can 

seek help from the Grand Emperor and the former Prime Minister."

"Master," Feng Lan also spoke, "On the battlefield, swords and guns have no eyes..."

"Lan," Si Cang Qing interrupted him, "I'll leave the affairs of the palace to you."

Feng Lan looked embarrassed, "But..."

"You don't need to persuade me," Si Cang Qing stood up and said decisively, "Zhèn have made up my mind."

The person hiding in Luomen Pass is not someone Anping can deal with alone!

Arrange the formation?

Si Cang Qing's eyes were cold. He wanted to see whose formation was more powerful!

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