The Situation Deteriorates
Qin Yan was not surprised that Wei Xu had hidden elite cavalry.
Qin Yan's target was not them.
No one would be so generous as to hand over their elite troops to someone else.
Qin Yan could choose any of the more than seven thousand cavalrymen in front of him.
"This is Qin Yan, the Divine Bow General, personally appointed by His Majesty. He has come to select 1,500 cavalrymen. Is there anyone willing to follow this general?"
Ren Sheng mobilized his internal True Qi, and his voice clearly reverberated throughout the entire square.
The entire room fell silent!
All the soldiers stood like statues, and no one responded.
Qin Yan merely glanced at Ren Sheng and said nothing!
He stepped forward and calmly surveyed the entire room.
You may not know them, but that's okay.
My Qin Yan, and I am fifteen years old.
In Dongying Prefecture, during the suppression of the Taiping Army, two Taiping Army with tens of thousands of men each were shot and killed, and the enemy's commander-in-chief, Hu Zhanfeng, was captured after entering the enemy camp!
Therefore, His Majesty has bestowed upon me the title of Count of Qinghe and Divine Bow General!
Qin Yan's voice rang out slowly, clearly reaching everyone's ears.
The once peaceful square was instantly thrown into turmoil.
It wasn't just because of Qin Yan's age, but because Qin Yan was granted the title of Earl in a single battle and cultivated alongside the nation.
A glint of light flashed in many people's eyes!
"I, Qin Yan, will never forget the Emperor's grace. I have volunteered to go and suppress the Taiping Army, and His Majesty has made a promise."
If he performs another great service, he may be ennobled as a marquis!
Qin Yan's words struck like a bell in everyone's hearts; who wouldn't want to be ennobled and appointed a high-ranking official?
The person before me is only one step away from being granted a noble title.
And it was a promise made personally by the emperor.
In short, the other party is favored by the Emperor!
Some capable and ambitious people suddenly became fervent in their eyes.
Military merit is a ladder to climb higher ranks and transcend social classes.
A general who is favored by the emperor has a limitless future.
Many people are already getting restless.
Ren Sheng changed slightly upon hearing Qin Yan's words, and he looked at him with some surprise.
The young general before him was not the incompetent fool he had imagined!
Qin Yan spoke again.
"Follow me, and I can't guarantee anything else, but there's one thing I can vouch for with my life."
Every bit of credit you earn will be yours to keep.
Upon hearing this, the eyes of those who were eager to try instantly became resolute.
What is the purpose of joining the army and fighting wars?
Isn't it all about getting ahead and changing the fate of one's descendants?
"This humble general Han Cui, is willing to follow the general."
At this moment, a middle-aged general with a dull expression stepped forward.
He can only be a commander, but his strength is extremely considerable; he has already reached the peak of the Qi Origin Realm.
The first person appeared!
Many soldiers couldn't contain themselves and stepped out from the crowd.
These people are basically among the best in their class, ambitious and aspiring soldiers!
Because Jian is on the Emperor's side!
A person only gets one or two chances in their lifetime, and many people are willing to take the plunge.
The 1,500 people were all selected in less than a day.
Three cavalry commanders.
Han Cui, Jin Shizhong, Guo Hai!
All three are experts at the Qi Origin Realm, and they are all in their thirties or forties and at their peak.
His 1,500 cavalrymen were all in their prime, and their desire for merit was off the charts!
Everyone donned crimson armor, instantly exuding a chilling aura.
This army followed Qin Yan south to Dongying Prefecture, where they brought Tang Xianzong and others to his side.
His scouts had already gone ahead.
These days he has been paying close attention to the movements of the Taiping Army. The Great Li Dynasty has organized more than 100,000 people to resist the Taiping Army's attack.
However, these more than 100,000 people did not have a true Command!
They were all stationed in different prefectures, each fighting their own battle!
Faced with the Taiping Army's relentless attacks, they generally suffered more losses than wins.
They are basically holding their ground in their respective locations and will not launch any rash attacks.
In addition, some incompetent officials dragged the team down, making the entire battle situation extremely tense!
Hongjia Emperor and his ministers should have discussed and selected a Command long ago.
However, a series of subsequent events led to the matter remaining unresolved for a long time.
This also gave the Taiping Army a chance to regroup; Hong Sheng was indeed a formidable man.
Every time we conquer a new area, we mass produce troops!
The number of the Taiping Army was snowballing, reaching as many as 150,000 in just one or two months!
This is already an extremely alarming number.
And it's increasing by an astonishing number!
According to the intelligence he had gathered, Hong Sheng's Taiping Army had been burning, killing, and looting all the local gentry and powerful families.
They acquired an astonishing fortune.
They also looted their warehouses, which contained enough grain to feed the Taiping Army for more than ten years, and their military pay was not a problem.
Even the Heavenly King Hong probably never imagined that this group of people would become so wealthy.
The Taiping Army's strategy at that time was extremely simple.
To sustain war through war!
Upon arriving at each place, they would slaughter the local powerful families and plunder their wealth.
They then used this wealth to continue expanding their army.
The local poor people followed suit in droves.
The Taiping Army's overall strategy was sound; the problem lay with those who implemented it.
The Taiping Army, through its disorderly expansion, inherently harbored significant hidden dangers.
The soldiers below lack discipline and often do some extremely crazy things.
Rape and plunder had become extremely commonplace in their eyes!
This is why Qin Yan looks down on these guys.
Calling them a rebel army is an understatement; they're more accurately described as a band of bandits.
After several days of travel.
Qin Yan and his group had arrived at Chaowen Prefecture, and along the way they encountered many disaster victims with their families.
The Taiping Army has already reached Chaowen Prefecture.
"General, the situation in Chaowen Prefecture is dire; four county towns have already fallen."
Many cavalrymen maneuvered and infiltrated, capturing numerous locations.
Scout Bai Yi also reported to Qin Yan, "Thirty miles ahead, a Taiping Army of over two thousand men is besieging a military camp. They probably won't be able to hold out for much longer."
How are the personnel allocated?
"There are only one or two hundred cavalrymen; the rest are all infantry!"
Bai Yi immediately spoke.
"The Red Shadow Army has never seen blood since its inception; this is the perfect time for them to use it as a flag-raising sacrifice!"
Qin Yan's voice was cold.
Upon hearing this, Han Cui and the others' eyes burned with eagerness, revealing expressions of anticipation.
"The entire army must march at full speed to rescue our comrades thirty li away and annihilate the rebels!"
Heavenly Lake Hill!
The sounds of fighting filled the air; a large number of soldiers were charging into the camp!
The stockade walls were already on the verge of collapse under repeated attacks.
The Taiping Army was in a bloodthirsty frenzy, charging fearlessly towards the gate!
The two sides clashed at the gate.
The number of soldiers in the entire camp has been reduced to less than three hundred, with more than half of them killed or wounded.
It's a miracle he hasn't broken down yet!
"Hold on, reinforcements are coming soon."
The generals here could only keep shouting, brainwashing themselves and their soldiers!