On the other side, Aksu led an army of 200,000 to provide reinforcements, but they discovered something was wrong halfway there when they encountered a large number of refugees fleeing the disaster.
"What happened? Why are there so many refugees?" Aksu asked the person next to him, frowning.
This is very strange. Logically speaking, even if there are refugees, they shouldn't have come all the way here. This is illogical.
Upon hearing this, Ali dared not delay and quickly went to arrest a few people.
"The Minister of War is asking you a question: why did you leave your territory and flee here?" Ali looked at the group and sneered.
"Sir, we were forced into this situation; we don't want to leave either!"
The common people trembled with fear at the sight of these soldiers. These men were ruthless and cruel; if they were displeased by even one of them, their entire families might be wiped out.
Snap!
Ali lashed out with his whip, striking the man who had spoken, making him wail in pain. He sneered, "Why were you forced into this? Get to the point!"
"Sir, the enemy is attacking from the front, advancing with unstoppable momentum. If we don't run, we'll be killed!" someone said, forcing a smile.
"The enemy has attacked?"
Aksu's expression changed drastically. Forgetting all composure, he grabbed the speaker and lifted him up, angrily demanding, "What do you mean by saying the enemy is attacking? Doesn't Great Jade River still have 200,000 troops?"
His heart pounded wildly. The enemy was attacking now. Could it be that his son had already died in battle?
The refugee uttered a place name, which immediately froze Aksu.
This is after the Great Jade River; does that mean Great Jade River has really been breached?
That son of his own...
His heart ached terribly, and he almost fainted on the spot. It was truly a case of a parent outliving their child.
"Minister!"
His trusted aides were startled and quickly supported him. At this critical moment, the minister could not afford to be harmed, or everything would be over.
Aksu shook his head and said in a deep voice, "Quickly send people to investigate how the eldest young master is doing, and where the enemy has advanced to!"
The trusted confidant dared not be negligent, arranging for people to travel quickly while simultaneously dispatching a large number of men to investigate the situation.
Soon, the spies returned one after another, but the news they brought was not good.
"Report! The Chaotic Stone Shoal has fallen, and the three thousand defending troops have surrendered without a fight. The enemy is still advancing eastward!"
Report! The garrison commander of West Mountain has been killed in action, and all five thousand defending troops have been wiped out.
"Report! Cloud City has fallen, and the enemy has occupied Cloud City as a temporary stronghold."
"Report! General Lixiu has been killed in battle, and all 25,000 soldiers have been wiped out!"
"Report! The enemy is advancing rapidly, having captured more than twenty of our villages and towns, and is still advancing eastward!"
"..."
As news gradually returned, Aksu's face turned extremely grim.
"To conquer more than twenty towns in my Frostwest in a single day?" he gritted his teeth, his face filled with disbelief.
Although there is still no news of his son's death, the fact that so many towns have fallen in a single day is simply terrifying!
"This..."
The others realized this too, and immediately broke out in a cold sweat; this enemy was probably stronger than ever before.
They were all initially full of fighting spirit, but upon hearing about the opponent's record, they were immediately terrified, and their initial momentum dwindled by half.
They've destroyed over twenty towns and are still advancing eastward; they might soon be heading straight for us.
"Don't panic!"
Aksu coughed lightly and gave everyone a warning look, reminding them that now was not the time to be discouraged, as the enemy would not leave just because they were discouraged.
The most urgent task is to deal with this group!
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Have you found out who they are? Is it the Black Skull Army or that Great Han?"
"It's said that the leader is a man named Huo Qubing, who claims to be from the Great Han Dynasty, and his army numbers about 200,000. As for the Black Skull Army, they seem to be acting as a suicide squad for them, and also cleaning up the battlefield!" a scout whispered.
Holy crap!
Everyone was stunned. The once unruly Black Skull Army had actually been made a suicide squad and ordered to clean up the battlefield. It was as if they were being treated like dogs.
Thinking of this, everyone's hearts pounded.
No wonder they can rampage through the Northwest with 200,000 elite troops. Just how strong is this army that they can turn the arrogant Black Skull Army into this state? This is terrifying!
Those who had previously suggested supporting Great Jade River immediately regretted it and wished they could slap themselves.
Serves you right for being so cocky; you've met your match.
General Ali swallowed hard and whispered, "Minister, what should we do now? Should we send reinforcements?" He was considering backing out.
You can earn money anytime, but you only have one life. Once you're dead, all the money in the world is useless.
"Snort!"
Aksu glared at him and said angrily, "What are you trying to say? The enemy is already at the gates. Do you think we should go or not? I've seen all kinds of people. A Great Han like me can't turn the world upside down!"
Great Jade River has gathered at least 300,000 people; it's impossible for it to be breached so quickly. The only possibility is that the enemy has circled in!
As long as we charge in and coordinate with the Great Jade River from the inside, the enemy will be trapped like turtles in a jar!
Although he was also frightened, he was a man who knew military affairs. No matter how strong the enemy was, they could not easily destroy Great Jade River, which was equivalent to a military fortress with defensive fortifications.
Even if the enemy is incredibly powerful, they couldn't possibly break in so quickly.
The only possibility is that the enemy bypassed Great Jade River before attacking this area.
He snorted coldly, took a token and handed it to his trusted confidant. With this token, he could mobilize another 100,000 troops.
I'll send my 300,000 troops to attack; I don't believe your exhausted army can withstand it.
With his son's men flanking him, this big Great Han is just asking for death. I'll wipe out over 200,000 of your men this time!
The generals were taken aback at first, but then they realized it made sense. After all, the enemy couldn't be invincible; they might have really come around.
There's no turning back now, so let's keep going.
With 300,000 troops by your side, you should feel a certain sense of security.
At that moment, the Great Tang also received a letter sent by carrier pigeon. The writer was none other than Huo Qubing, the Marquis Champion of Great Han!
Upon receiving the letter, Xue Rengui's eyes grew serious. Although he had only met that guy a few times, he knew how arrogant he was, and now he had actually written to him.
He opened it and his pupils constricted.
The situation in the West is like oil boiling over a raging fire; I invite you to a hunt in Tiele City, to be presented to my lord.
Hunting the Imperial City!
Xue Rengui couldn't help but gasp. This guy was really audacious; he was even trying to steal the Emperor Emeritus's job!
But why does this feel so exciting?