The Myth of Daqin: The Soul of Yi Xiaochuan

Chapter 265: Stand alone

The imperial edict to dispatch the army to southern Xinjiang was delivered by Deng Ying and Su Jiao to Ren Qi and Zhao Tuo in Nanhai.

The two of them traveled south from Xianyang without stopping and finally arrived in Panyu.

Deng Ying and Su Jiao entered Panyu City and saw that the people in the city were bustling about, the shops on both sides of the street were full of goods, the hawking sounds were one after another, and it was a prosperous scene.

Afterwards, the two went straight to the county magistrate's office to look for Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo.

In front of the county magistrate's mansion, the guards were fully armed.

Deng Ying and Su Jiao informed the guards of their purpose, and the guards did not dare to delay and immediately went to report.

After a while, Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo came out to greet them. The four of them greeted each other.

After entering the palace, Deng Ying took out the imperial edict and said solemnly, "This is His Majesty's decree, ordering the two marquises to immediately dispatch 50,000 troops and hand them over to General Su Jiao to lead them north."

Ren Xiong took the imperial edict and read it carefully. He frowned slightly and said in a heavy tone, "Although Southern Xinjiang is temporarily stable, the surrounding barbarians are eyeing us covetously. If we move our troops north now, we will be left with insufficient manpower and may cause chaos in Southern Xinjiang."

Zhao Tuo, puzzled, asked, "Why did Your Majesty suddenly order the troops to march north? Are there any other plans?"

Su Jiao hurriedly said, "This is His Majesty's order, please do not disobey."

Zhao Tuo pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "As soldiers of the Great Qin, we must obey the emperor's orders. However, you need to give us some time to arrange defenses in case of any changes in southern Xinjiang."

Deng Ying and Su Jiao looked at each other and nodded in agreement.

Ren Xiong continued, "I will arrange defense matters as quickly as possible to ensure the safety of southern Xinjiang. However, the mobilization of 50,000 troops will take time, so please wait for a moment, General Su."

Su Jiao replied, "We understand your concerns, Lord, and will fully cooperate with your arrangements."

The four of them discussed some details and determined the specific plan and time for the troop transfer.

Then, Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo began to arrange military affairs and dispatch troops.

Zhao Tuo said with a worried look on his face, "Brother, Meng Tian's forces in the northern border are now powerful and seem to be separatist. I think the Xianyang court will find it difficult to resist. I am afraid that this mobilization of troops from the southern border will be a drop in the bucket and will be futile. Instead, it will cause us to suffer a great loss of strength."

After listening to what Zhao Tuo said, Ren Xiong stroked his beard and said slowly: "What Brother Tuo said is not unreasonable, but the king's order is as heavy as a mountain and must be obeyed. However, we also need to consider ourselves." There was a hint of cunning in his eyes.

Zhao Tuo's eyes lit up, and he asked hurriedly, "Brother, do you have a plan?"

Ren Xiong lowered his voice, leaned closer to Zhao Tuo, and whispered, "We can pretend to fully prepare for the mobilization of troops, secretly leaving some of our elite forces behind to hide in the mountains and forests. We can make plans once the situation becomes clear."

Zhao Tuo nodded in agreement, then smiled and said, "Brother, we have some veteran soldiers in our army who are too old and frail to be used. We can use the excuse of their rich experience and homesickness to assign them to Deng Ying and Su Jiao."

Ren Xiong listened to Zhao Tuo's words and nodded slightly in agreement. "Brother Tuo, this plan is brilliant. It doesn't violate the emperor's orders, and it also preserves our strength."

After the two of them had made their decision, they proceeded according to the plan.

Not long after, Deng Ying and Su Jiao came to inspect the troops.

Deng Ying frowned as he saw that half of the 50,000 soldiers were old and weak. He said with a hint of dissatisfaction, "My Lord, these soldiers look old and weak. How can they fight in the northern border?"

There was a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction in his voice.

Zhao Tuo spoke earnestly and bowed sincerely, saying, "Your Excellency, you may not know that although these veterans are in poor health, they are rich in combat experience. They are homesick, and hearing that they can accompany you back north will boost their morale and make full use of their remaining energy. Moreover, there are many affairs in southern Xinjiang that require the management of young and strong men. I will trouble you to take these veterans with you first. The general and I will select the best soldiers and generals to follow."

Su Jiao wanted to argue, but Deng Ying stopped him, thinking that Ren Xiong and others still had to continue recruiting troops, so it was not advisable to offend them too much.

So, he said in a gentle tone: "Since the Marquis says so, we will take these soldiers and go ahead."

On the day the army set out, Ren Xiong and Zhao Tuo stood on the city wall and watched. After Deng Ying and Su Jiao left, they immediately intensified the training of the elite soldiers who were hidden, and at the same time closely monitored the situation in the north.

In Jiuyuan City, sunlight shines through the clouds onto the city walls, reflecting a golden glow.

Meng Yi stood on the city wall, gazing into the distance, and said, "Brother, both the Tuan and Shaodang tribes are ready. We only need to wait for our Jiuyuan army to march north, and then we can form a siege."

Meng Tian nodded slightly, a pleased smile on his face. His eyes revealed his recognition of Meng Yi: "Brother Yi, you are becoming more and more like a great general now."

Meng Yuan, who was standing by, also agreed with a smile, "Big brother is right. As a son of a general, I naturally inherited the family tradition."

Meng Yi smiled modestly and said, "Brothers, please stop teasing me. It's all thanks to your guidance and instruction that I've made some progress."

Changing the subject, Meng Yi lowered his voice and said, "But, brother, when our army marches north, I'm afraid the Xianyang court will send troops to launch a surprise attack. Jiuyuan needs a general to be stationed here... What do you think?"

Meng Tian pondered for a moment, then raised his head, his eyes blazing, his voice filled with confidence: "I will lead the army to battle, and the responsibility of commanding must belong to you, my brother."

When Meng Yi heard this, he became anxious and quickly gave Meng Yuan a look.

Meng Yuan understood and quickly shook his head, saying, "Brother, I'm fine commanding a small force, but with an army of nearly 100,000 men, and having to deal with the Xianyang court's invasion, I'm afraid I'm not up to the task!"

Meng Yi also hurriedly stepped forward and said sincerely, "Big Brother, Second Brother is absolutely right. I believe that the person who should be in charge of Jiuyuan, commanding the deployment and coordinating the overall plan should be none other than Big Brother."

Meng Tian looked at his two younger brothers in front of him, and a warm feeling surged in his heart.

He laughed and scolded, "Oh, so you two were waiting for me here!"

Meng Yi and Meng Yuan looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.

A breeze blew gently from the city wall, and the corners of Meng Yi's clothes fluttered in the wind.

Then, Meng Yi said seriously, "Brother, you've fought bravely on the battlefield for many years, and your underlying illness has long been deeply ingrained. The military doctor once said that the root of your illness has already been established, and it is really not suitable for you to charge into battle again. So this time, let me and my second brother lead the charge."

Meng Yuan quickly echoed, "Yes! Big Brother, just listen to us. Brother Yi has always been a man of extraordinary wisdom and even more so of martial arts. I, your humble servant, have followed you in battle for many years and have accumulated considerable experience. The two of us will definitely live up to your expectations."

Meng Yi bowed again and said earnestly, "Brother, my second brother and I can't live under your protection forever. Sooner or later, we will have to fight on our own. Let us go this time!"

Meng Tian sighed deeply, his eyes filled with relief. He slowly said, "You have truly grown up. In that case, I will agree to your request. However, the journey to the North will be difficult and dangerous, and the enemy will be fierce. You must be careful and cautious."

In the following days, Meng Yi and Meng Yuan actively prepared for the expedition.

On the day the army set out, Meng Tian came in person to see them off.

He patted their shoulders and said in a deep voice, "Remember, if you encounter a strong enemy, don't act rashly. You must outsmart them."

Meng Yi nodded firmly, "Don't worry, brother. We will return safely."

Meng Yuanze laughed heartily, "Brother, when we return victorious, we will definitely have a good drink."

After saying this, the two smiled at each other, then led the army and marched northward in a mighty manner.

Meng Tian stood where he was, quietly watching the army marching away, praying silently in his heart.

Good luck in starting a new business, thank you all for your support!