What? Silver Gong Xu Slaughtered Hundreds of Thousands of Enemy Troops with One Strike?

"Didn't Wei Yuan just capture the headquarters of the Witch God Cult? Didn't he break through the heart of the Yan Kingdom?"

Qian Qingshu stared wide-eyed in surprise.

According to the predictions of the experts, the Witch God Cult, which suffered heavy losses, is likely to swallow its anger and recuperate.

Alternatively, after initially pacifying the people and repairing the city, troops could be mobilized, but these tasks would not be completed in less than a few months, or even half a year.

The war broke out in the territory of the Witch God Cult. People fled, cities fell, and even the main altar was captured and destroyed.

Post-war reconstruction and reconciliation are long and complicated processes.

Who would have thought that less than a month after Wei Yuan captured Jingshan City, the Yan and Kang kingdoms would gather 80,000 troops to attack Yuyang Pass?!

This behavior, which was inconsistent with the norms of war, left the assembled scholars both shocked, angry, and bewildered.

Wang Zhenwen's face was ashen. "How is the battle going?"

He paused, then changed his question, "How many cities in Xiangzhou have been captured?"

The combined forces of the two countries numbered 80,000. The enemy, fueled by the flames of revenge, would undoubtedly fight to the death. Meanwhile, the border garrison, having experienced Wei Yuan's death, was understandably demoralized.

The disparity in numbers, coupled with information such as Li Yi's return to the capital, all told Wang Zhenwen that Yuyang Pass had fallen and the people of Xiangzhou were being trampled by the iron cavalry.

This made the shrewd and calculating old prime minister somewhat anxious, to the point that he was restless.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi instinctively smiled, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

He smiled. Zhao Tingfang and the others looked slightly dazed, and then they heard Li Yi say:

"Fortunately, Xu Yinluo was there at the time; he almost single-handedly helped us hold off the enemy."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Secretaries instinctively breathed a sigh of relief. Given Xu Qi'an's past ability to handle matters, he could always resolve things, whether through violence or other extreme means.

He immediately realized something was amiss. Given Xu Qi'an's cultivation level, how could the phrase "one person's strength" even apply?

Wang Zhenwen frowned slightly and voiced her doubts.

Li Yidao said, "Xu Yinluo single-handedly broke through the enemy lines, killing over ten thousand enemy soldiers, including the Kang Kingdom commander Sugudu Hongxiong, and slaying Yan Jun Nurhega with a single stroke amidst a thousand troops."

As Li Yi recounted his story, the Grand Secretaries were stunned, their old faces frozen in the same expression.

The teacup that the Prime Minister was holding slowly tilted, and the scalding tea spilled out again, waking him up with a start, and he almost shuddered.

"True?!"

The chief minister heard his own voice trembling.

"This humble servant dares not lie about military intelligence. I have already sent the report to the Ministry of War. I am here on the behalf of Commander Zhang, hoping that the Grand Secretary and all the other officials can make a decision as soon as possible and send reinforcements to the border of the three prefectures," Li Yi said.

The Prime Minister Wang nodded slowly and said, "You may wait outside; we will discuss this for a moment."

After Li Yi left, the council chamber fell silent for a moment.

In the minds of all the scholars, the image of that little gong-wielder from the year of the Capital Evaluation came to mind simultaneously. At that time, he was just a nobody who relied on Wei Yuan's favor to climb the social ladder.

Now that Wei Yuan has died in battle, he has become a legendary figure capable of standing alone.

Things have changed, but people are no longer the same.

Zhao Tingfang sighed:

"I never imagined he would grow to this level. In five to ten years, he will have no problem replacing the Prince of Zhenbei and becoming the number one warrior in the Great Feng."

He killed nearly ten thousand enemies beneath the city walls and beheaded Yan Jun Nurhega with a single stroke.

Based on this achievement alone, being granted a marquisate is a given.

It's a pity that such a person, back then, cut off his official badge with a single stroke and never served as an official again.

The hot-tempered Qian Qingshu snorted coldly:

"For the sake of Prince Huai and the dignity of the royal family, His Majesty has completely severed ties with him. He can no longer serve as an official in the court. Moreover, given Xu Qi'an's character, even if His Majesty forgives him for his past transgressions, he will not return to the court."

What a pity, what a pity!

The Grand Secretary of the Hall of Literary Glory said in a low voice, "After Wei Yuan's death, he might leave the capital."

The Grand Secretaries fell silent.

Qian Qingshu slammed his hand on the table, opened his lips, but ultimately didn't utter those two words.

The Prime Minister glanced at his close friend and changed the subject. "I didn't expect the Witch God Cult's retaliation to come so swiftly; this doesn't make sense."

Grand Secretary Chen Qi of the Jianji Hall pondered for a moment, "Nurhega may be blinded by hatred, but Kangguo is not. There are even high-ranking shamans of the Shaman God Cult above them."

"Jingguo is engaged in battle in the north, and Yanguo has suffered heavy losses and urgently needs to recuperate. Only Kangguo's military strength is relatively intact. This overwhelming force may bring temporary victory, but once Great Feng reacts and mobilizes its troops, there is a risk of Yanguo's annihilation."

The current situation is that the Jing Kingdom in the north is restrained by demons and barbarians, the main altar in Jingshan City has fallen, and low- and mid-level wizards have suffered heavy casualties.

If Great Feng grits its teeth and fights another major battle against the Witch God Cult, Yan Kingdom will be in danger of being destroyed, and Kang Kingdom will not fare much better.

Therefore, Chief Minister Wang proposed to transfer troops from various prefectures, but this was rejected by Emperor Yuanjing.

Grand Secretary Chen Qi looked around at everyone. "Then what is the reason that made them recklessly invade the south?"

"Perhaps the Chief Censor can tell me," Chief Minister Wang said in a deep voice, then looked at Qian Qingshu and said, "Qingshu, invite that general in."

Li Yi re-entered the council chamber, and Chief Minister Wang asked in a gentle tone, "Is there anything else?"

Li Yi hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Has Chen Ying arrived in the capital?"

After a moment's thought, the Grand Secretary Wang remembered who Chen Ying was, and shook his head, saying, "No, what else could this be?"

It seems he won't be that quick. Li Yi immediately showed indignation:

"Aside from the provisions we brought with us when we set out, the logistics troops never sent any more supplies. While our army was fighting on the enemy's side, the three prefectures' Ministry of Revenue cut off our supplies. After we withdrew, we questioned the officials of the three prefectures' Ministry of Revenue and only then did we learn that our military rations were gone."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the assembled scholars changed drastically, and Qian Qingshu stood up abruptly.

Chief Minister Wang tapped the table rapidly with his finger, his tone becoming even more urgent:

"What do you mean the military rations are gone? What happened to the grain and provisions escorted to the border before the army set out? Didn't the Ministry of Revenue of the three prefectures take inventory? Didn't you take inventory? Where are the escort officers? Where are the grain and provisions supervisors?"

What is the most important thing in war?

Food supplies are the top priority. With 100,000 people, the people and horses need to eat; without food supplies, there will be a mutiny.

"We naturally sent people to take inventory, but when we returned, we found that the grain was gone and had been secretly transported away. The officials in charge of escorting and supervising the transport of grain were nowhere to be found."

"Chen Ying questioned the officials of the Ministry of Revenue, but those corrupt officials only said they were acting under orders and refused to say anything else. So, in a fit of rage, Chen Ying had them all beheaded."

Li Yi lowered his head and finished speaking.

Boom!

As if struck by lightning, the Grand Secretaries swayed.

"Acting under orders? Whose orders? Whose orders?! That Chen Ying. Who told him to kill people? He killed people, so who are we supposed to ask?"

"You brute, you damned brute!"

The hot-tempered Qian Qingshu was furious.

Only Grand Secretary Wang sat motionless, remaining silent for a long time. After the Grand Secretaries had finished arguing, he quietly picked up his official hat, put it on, and slowly walked out.

"I'm going to see the Supervisor."

His voice was neither joyful nor sorrowful.

At this moment, in the Ministry of War, the Minister of War sat in the hall, reviewing the contents of the report.

The above records two events. First, the allied forces of Yan and Kang attacked Yuyang Pass, but were defeated by Xu Qi'an alone. Xu Qi'an killed ten thousand enemies, killed the Yan King, and the allied forces collapsed!

Secondly, the grain and fodder disappeared without explanation.

In addition to the report, there was also a handwritten letter from Zhang Kaitai, earnestly requesting the Minister of War and censors such as Zhang Xingying to help rescue Chen Ying.

The killing of officials from the Ministry of Revenue was tantamount to a mutiny.

Throughout history, mutinies have been forgivable for the soldiers, but the leaders have always been executed.

The Minister of War was someone promoted by Wei Yuan and was a key member of Wei's faction.

The Minister of War pondered for a long time, then summoned his trusted confidant and said, "Leak the contents of the report, but only tell one part of it, not the other."

The matter of provisions is still undecided and of great importance, so it is not appropriate to disclose it at this time.

But Xu Qi'an's deeds can be spread, with the aim of publicizing the victory. Isn't His Majesty hesitant? Isn't he unwilling to give Duke Wei a posthumous reputation? Then let's give him a push.

Soon, the story of Xu Qi'an single-handedly holding off both the Yan and Kang kingdoms began to spread among officials in the capital and among ordinary people, thanks to the efforts of "interested individuals."

A group of Beijing officials entered a high-end restaurant in the inner city.

After entering the private room, ordering food and drinks, and engaging in lively conversation, a Beijing official, after a few drinks, said:

"I just heard from a friend in the Ministry of War that the allied forces of Yan and Kang mobilized 80,000 elite troops to attack Yuyang Pass the day before yesterday."

His colleagues' faces changed drastically. "Xiangzhou has fallen?"

No, no.

The official waved his hand, looked around at the crowd, and said vividly, "Xu Yinlu happened to be there. He killed more than 20,000 enemy soldiers with just one sword, killed the commander of Kang Kingdom, and even beheaded the Yan King."

"Nonsense! Eat more food, drink less alcohol, and stop talking nonsense." His colleagues didn't believe him.

"This matter is absolutely true. Since you were all going to find out about something this big sooner or later, why would I lie to you? Does my reputation have no value?"

"What exactly happened? Tell me quickly!"

Outside the private room, the waiter heard everything clearly and immediately ran downstairs, his face flushed with excitement, to find the manager.

"Manager, manager, something terrible has happened!"

The shopkeeper behind the counter's expression changed. "Are customers fighting?"

The waiter waved his hands repeatedly, then gesticulated wildly and shouted, "The 80,000-strong allied army of Yan and Kang attacked the border, but... but Xu Yinluo single-handedly wiped them all out. Even Lord Yan is dead!"

The bustling restaurant lobby fell silent instantly.

A brothel.

"Have you heard? Xu Yinluo single-handedly held off an army of 100,000 men from the Yan and Kang kingdoms on the border of Xiangzhou, leaving no survivors."

"Isn't Xu Yinluo in the capital?"

"Who told him? It's classified information from the imperial court. I only found out about it because a relative of mine is an official there. A whole army of 100,000! Good heavens, the corpses piled up would be higher than the city walls."

At the entrance of the alley.

Someone shouted, "Listen up, everyone! I'm about to tell you something really exciting. You don't have to believe me, but I can guarantee it's all true!"

"What's up?"

Pedestrians stopped to watch.

The hawker announced, "Yesterday, Xu Yinluo single-handedly held off the 150,000-strong army of the Witch God Cult at Yuyang Pass, killing ten thousand with each strike. After fifteen strikes, the enemy was annihilated."

"Is this really true?" Some passersby didn't believe it.

"I've heard about it too, but it's said to be an army of 200,000, not 150,000. Don't smear Xu Yinluo's achievements."

"Wait, isn't it two hundred and fifty thousand?"

"Is this a rumor?"

"What rumors? If it's Xu Yinluo, he can definitely do it. Have you forgotten? Last year in Yunzhou, Xu Yinluo single-handedly held off 20,000 rebel troops and quelled the rebellion single-handedly."

People in the crowd kept speaking up.

The news spread rapidly throughout the capital.

The people of the capital were delighted, their faces beaming with pride, some even believing that Heaven had blessed the Great Feng.

Some people looked worried, thinking that if Xu Yinluo continued like this, the human world would no longer tolerate him, and he would ascend to heaven, which the Great Feng could not bear.

The Imperial Palace.

The Crown Prince received the firsthand news from his trusted officials and was stunned, his shock no less than upon hearing of Wei Yuan's death in battle.

Upon hearing the news, his first reaction was to go to Lin'an.

The Crown Prince had already sensed the mutual affection between Lin'an and Xu Qi'an during the Fu Consort case. Especially his younger sister, who was oblivious to the wickedness of people's hearts, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was deeply in love with him.

As Xu Qi'an demonstrated increasing abilities, the Crown Prince's feelings became extremely complicated. On one hand, he had offended his father, the Emperor, and was destined to die.

On the other hand, he was just too useful, so useful that the Crown Prince felt that if he could recruit Xu to his side, his throne would be even more secure.

Putting aside other things, if a highly skilled martial artist at the peak of their cultivation is wholeheartedly loyal to you, then at least your safety is assured.

Now, the Crown Prince is increasingly convinced of this fact.

After leaving the East Palace, he soon arrived at the nearby Shaoyin Garden. Upon being informed by a guard, he saw his younger sister, who was wearing a red dress, in the back garden.

Her face was round and fair, with delicate features. Her pair of watery peach blossom eyes always gave people a feeling of tender affection. She was charming but not seductive, and her every glance was full of charm but not frivolous.

As siblings, the Crown Prince was naturally immune to Lin'an's beauty, but at this moment, he felt that Lin'an's beauty and inner charm were truly an excellent weapon.

"What brings you here, Crown Prince?"

Sitting in the pavilion in Lin'an, admiring the autumn scenery, a smile that could launch a thousand ships.

The crown prince strode in, laughing heartily, "I've come to share something important with my sister."

He recounted Xu Qi'an's heroic deeds at Yuyang Pass.

He paused, then tentatively asked, "Lin'an, Xu Qi'an is truly a rare talent. What's your opinion of him?"

Although his words might have seemed like he was using the girl to win people over, this was a basic tactic for a crown prince.

Lin'an was stunned; her beautiful oval face remained expressionless for a long time.

After a long silence, she whispered, "He went to the northeastern border."

"Yes, one man single-handedly broke through the enemy lines, killed ten thousand, and scared away fifty thousand enemy troops. It's a feat rarely seen in the history of the Great Feng Dynasty," the Crown Prince said excitedly.

Lin'an felt only heartache. What had driven him to travel thousands of miles to the border, leading his troops into battle and breaking through enemy lines?

Wei Yuan's death must have been a huge blow to him.

When you like someone, your first consideration is always their joys and sorrows, not the glory and brilliance they bring.

Of course, Lin'an also heard her own heart pounding wildly.

That man already possessed the power to overthrow the Heavenly Palace and bring the Heavenly Princess down to the mortal realm.

In the barracks where the Imperial Saber Guard were stationed, Xu Pingzhi received congratulations from his colleagues and superiors.

"Congratulations, Lord Xu! The Xu Household is truly a family of loyal and valiant men. Erlang went to war with the army, Dalang guarded the border alone, making outstanding contributions."

"If you ask me, it's Lord Xu who has a good eye; he recognized early on that Xu Yinluo was Martial Dao with unparalleled talent."

"Yes, yes, I used to secretly curse Lord Xu for being a heartless person."

There's no need to say more; you uncouth brute. Xu Pingzhi responded with a complicated smile.

Star-Gazing Tower.

Wang Zhenwen, dressed in a scarlet robe, ascended the Eight Trigrams Platform. In my memory, he had climbed to the top of the Star-Gazing Tower no more than five times.

He met with the Supervisor no more than five times. This guardian deity of the Great Feng, a divine figure who had observed the human world for five hundred years, was clearly in the mortal realm, yet found himself detached from it.

Since Wang Zhenwen entered the court as an official, the only time he has truly intervened in politics was when he forced Emperor Yuanjing to issue an edict of self-reproach.

What are you really thinking? Wang Zhenwen sighed, then said:

"Is your son unwell?"

Not far away, Yang Qianhuan squatted there, his back to the two of them, muttering to himself. Wang Zhenwen vaguely heard a few words:

"I'm not jealous, I'm not jealous of that despicable Xu Ningyan, that despicable Xu Ningyan, that despicable Xu Ningyan."

"Ignore it."

The seemingly sage-like supervisor appeared to choke for a moment.

Wang Zhenwen nodded, recounted the events surrounding the two newspapers, and bowed, saying, "Please instruct me, Supervisor."

The first report was about Wei Yuan's death in battle, and the second report was about supplies.

With his back to him, the supervisor held a wine cup in his hand and chuckled, "Does the Grand Secretary think that anyone in the Great Feng can cut off the food supplies of an army of 100,000?"

P. S.: It will arrive later, but I'll update it first and then revise it.